The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Nigeria Police Force have warned political parties, candidates and their supporters against hate speech, inflammatory rhetoric, disinformation and violence as campaigns for the 2027 general elections officially commence.
The warnings were issued in Abuja on Tuesday during the signing of the Peace Accord by presidential, governorship and National Assembly candidates ahead of the commencement of public campaigns and rallies.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, urged political actors to make the electioneering period a platform for constructive debate and competing policy ideas rather than personal attacks and confrontation.
“Let the 2027 campaign be a marketplace of ideas, not a theatre of war,” Amupitan said.
He charged political parties and candidates to conduct their campaigns in accordance with the Constitution, Electoral Act, party constitutions and their published manifestos.
According to him, Nigerians deserve substantive debates on the economy, security and other critical development challenges confronting the country.
“Nigerians do not want insults; they want solutions,” the INEC chairman said, urging candidates to clearly explain how they intend to stimulate economic growth, strengthen national security, improve infrastructure, healthcare and education.
Amupitan also called on presidential candidates and party leaders to set the right example for their supporters, warning that provocative statements from political leaders could easily translate into violence among their followers.
“Your supporters look to you for cues. If you speak the language of peace, they will act with peace. If you incite them, they will ignite,” he said.
The INEC chairman expressed particular concern over the growing use of digital platforms to spread misinformation, fake news and unverified election results.
He also warned against foreign information manipulation and other forms of digital interference capable of creating panic and undermining confidence in the electoral process.
Amupitan urged political parties to caution their spokespersons and digital media teams against deliberately spreading falsehoods, noting that hate speech, toxic polarisation, character assassination and identity-based provocation posed serious threats to peaceful political engagement.
He called on all candidates to honour the commitments contained in the Peace Accord throughout the electoral process, saying compliance would contribute to making the 2027 elections a model for democratic governance in Africa.
Reaffirming INEC’s neutrality, Amupitan said the commission was not interested in determining which political party or candidate would emerge victorious.
“INEC has no interest in who wins or loses any election,” he said.
According to him, the commission’s mandate is to deliver a lawful, transparent, credible and inclusive electoral process.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had, over the past eight months, focused on improving its technology and logistics while training personnel for the elections.
He said the commission had also incorporated lessons from recent off-cycle elections into its preparations for the 2027 polls.
“As an electoral umpire, I make an unwavering commitment to you and the people of Nigeria. Our responsibility is to ensure the ballot is protected and the will of the voters is reflected in the final results,” he said.
The INEC chairman, however, acknowledged that the commission could not guarantee a credible election without the cooperation of other stakeholders.
“INEC cannot deliver a perfect election alone. An election is a multi-stakeholder venture. We provide the pitch and the referee, but the quality of the game depends on the players,” he said.
Police warn against ethnic, religious mobilisation
Also speaking, the Inspector-General of Police, Olatunji Disu, cautioned political actors against using hate speech, inflammatory statements, disinformation and ethnic or religious sentiments to gain political advantage.
Disu, who was represented by the Deputy Inspector-General of Police in charge of Operations, Umar Shehu, said the 2027 campaigns must focus on policies, programmes and competing visions for Nigeria’s future.
“A political campaign should be a contest of ideas, policies, programmes and competing visions for the future of our country. It should not be a contest of hatred, intimidation, ethnic mobilisation or violence,” he said.
The police boss warned politicians against recruiting or deploying political thugs, armed groups and criminal elements to intimidate opponents or disrupt campaigns and electoral activities.
He further stated that the acquisition, distribution or illegal use of firearms and other weapons for political purposes would be regarded as a major security threat.
Disu urged politicians and their supporters to place the national interest above personal ambitions, reminding them that political power was temporary while Nigeria remained permanent.
“Political power is temporary, but Nigeria is permanent,” he said.
He added: “No political victory is worth the loss of any Nigerian life, no political ambition is worth the destruction of our communities.”
The Inspector-General assured Nigerians that the police would remain professional, impartial and guided by the rule of law throughout the electoral process.
He also pledged stronger collaboration between the police, INEC, the military, intelligence agencies and other security institutions to protect voters, candidates and electoral infrastructure.
Disu said the coordinated security approach would be aimed at safeguarding the electoral process and ensuring that Nigerians could participate in the 2027 general elections in a peaceful and secure environment.
