INEC threatens N10m fine and 12-month jail term for abusive campaign in 2027 election

The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned politicians and political parties against using abusive, intemperate or inflammatory language ahead of the 2027 general election, saying offenders could face substantial fines and, in some cases, imprisonment under the Electoral Act 2026.

INEC Chairman’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser, Adedayo Oketola, said in a telephone interview on Sunday that campaign rhetoric crosses into unlawful electoral intimidation when it goes beyond political debate or policy criticism and involves coercion, hate speech or threats of harm.

“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.

Quoting the law, he added: “A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.” He said the law further provides that “abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language, insinuations, innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.”

According to Oketola, rhetoric becomes intimidation when politicians threaten force or violence, directly or indirectly, against voters, candidates or electoral officials in an attempt to compel political support or suppress opposition. He said such intimidation could include threats of physical harm, economic retaliation or social exclusion, as well as efforts to create fear capable of discouraging voters from participating in elections.

Oketola said INEC is an election management body rather than a security agency, but noted that Section 95 of the Electoral Act 2026 outlines security responsibilities for political rallies involving the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other security agencies.

“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. Oketola said Section 96(7) of the Electoral Act prescribes penalties for candidates and political parties found guilty of violating the provisions.

“Any candidate who commits these offences is liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of ₦5,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months,” he said. He added: “A non-compliant political party is liable to a fine of ₦10,000,000 in the first instance, and ₦2,000,000 for each subsequent offence.”

Oketola said safeguarding electoral integrity requires cooperation among several institutions and stakeholders. “The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies have a clear duty to prevent the breakdown of law and order during political campaigns,” he said.

He also urged the media to perform its watchdog role by challenging inflammatory statements, while traditional and religious leaders should use their influence to encourage politicians to avoid rhetoric capable of provoking violence. The warning comes amid a series of controversial remarks attributed to political office holders in different parts of the country ahead of the 2027 elections.

Osun East Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi was invited and questioned by the Nigeria Police Force after a viral video in which he was heard telling All Progressives Congress supporters in Ilesa: “Until the day of election, when you see any Accord party member here in Ilesa, kill them.” Governor Ademola Adeleke rejected a subsequent clarification issued by Fadahunsi’s media office, describing the remarks as a national security threat and demanding his arrest.

In the Federal Capital Territory, Kuje Area Council Chairman Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo also drew criticism after warning residents who did not support the APC to relocate ahead of the 2027 elections. Amnesty International Nigeria described the remarks as a “call to violence.”

In Borno State, Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development Sainna Buba was reported to have said those who refused to support the APC in 2027 “will be flogged,” while also warning that anyone who crossed the ruling party would have a finger broken.

In Yobe State, APC Chairman Alhaji Mohammed Gadaka faced criticism after urging married women to leave their husbands if the men prevented them from voting for the party in the general election.

Gadaka, who made the remarks while addressing new APC defectors in Nangere town, was also reported to have offered to pay the “new bride price” of any woman who ended her marriage because of her loyalty to the party. He later withdrew the remarks following public criticism.

In Kebbi State, Gwandu Local Government Area Chairman Alhaji Atiku Ahmad Mandiya reportedly told supporters that anyone who spoke against Governor Nasir Idris “should be dealt with.” In Ebonyi State, Governor Francis Nwifuru warned newly inaugurated local government chairmen that they would be removed from office if they failed to deliver their councils to the APC in 2027.

The International Republican Institute, in a pre-election assessment of Nigeria’s democratic environment, said civil society monitors recorded more than 81 election-related violent incidents in Osun State in the year preceding the August governorship election.

Separately, a Pre-Election Security Risk Assessment by the Kimpact Development Initiative documented 73 election-related violent incidents resulting in 29 deaths in the run-up to local polls in the state.

Oketola said preventing campaign rhetoric from escalating into intimidation or violence would require cooperation among INEC, security agencies, the media, political actors and community leaders. “Political campaigns should be platforms of competing ideas, not theatres of war,” he said.