The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned politicians and political parties against the use of abusive, inflammatory or threatening language during campaigns, warning that offenders could face fines or imprisonment under the Electoral Act 2026.
The commission also called on the media to publicly expose politicians whose campaign statements could trigger violence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to its Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, disclosed this in a telephone interview on Sunday.
Oketola explained that political rhetoric amounts to electoral intimidation when it moves beyond legitimate political argument to include threats, hate speech, coercion or incitement to violence.
“Under the Nigerian legal framework, rhetoric becomes punishable intimidation when it incites ethnic, religious, or regional hostility through abusive, base, or slanderous language explicitly designed to provoke violent emotions or target specific groups,” Oketola said, citing Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026.
He further quoted the law as stating: “A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.”
According to him, the law also prohibits the use of “abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language, insinuations, innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions” during political campaigns.
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Oketola said politicians would be regarded as crossing into intimidation where they threaten voters, opponents or electoral officials with violence, physical harm, economic sanctions or social exclusion over their political choices.
He added that campaign activities must not create an atmosphere of fear capable of discouraging citizens from voting or denying particular groups the opportunity to participate in the electoral process.
While noting that INEC is primarily an election management body rather than a security agency, Oketola said the Electoral Act assigns security agencies defined responsibilities during political rallies.
He, however, said INEC has the statutory authority to monitor campaigns and ensure political parties comply with the Code of Conduct for Political Parties.
“Beyond inter-agency security coordination, INEC is statutorily empowered to monitor political campaigns and enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct for Political Parties. The Commission can issue formal queries and sanction non-compliant parties within its administrative limits,” he said.
On the consequences of violating the provisions, Oketola said Section 96(7) of the Electoral Act prescribes both financial penalties and imprisonment.
“Any candidate who commits these offences is liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of N5,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months,” he said.