2027: INEC Warns Politicians Against Threats, Says Offenders Risk ₦5m Fine Or 12 Months In Prison

2027: INEC Warns Politicians Against Threats, Says Offenders Risk ₦5m Fine Or 12 Months In Prison.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians and political parties against abusive, inflammatory and threatening statements ahead of the 2027 general election, saying offenders risk fines and imprisonment under the Electoral Act 2026.

INEC Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketola, said campaign statements involving threats, hate speech, coercion or language capable of provoking violence amount to electoral intimidation. He cited Section 96, which prohibits rhetoric capable of inflaming religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional sentiments.

Under Section 96(7), convicted candidates risk a maximum ₦5 million fine or 12 months’ imprisonment, while political parties face ₦10 million for a first offence and ₦2 million for subsequent offences.

Oketola urged security agencies and other stakeholders to curb inflammatory rhetoric, saying: “The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies have a clear duty to prevent the breakdown of law and order during political campaigns.” He added: “Political campaigns should be platforms of competing ideas, not theatres of war.”

The warning follows controversial remarks by Kebbi’s Gwandu LGA Chairman, Atiku Ahmad Mandiya, who urged APC supporters to have at least one person at every polling unit to “protect” their interests. He also said: “Anybody who comes to say anything against Kaura should be dealt with. I will bail the person (who dealt with the governor’s political opponent) out, if arrested.”

In Osun, APC chieftain Senator Francis Fadahunsi was also captured threatening Accord Party members, saying: “So we are here now to tell you that till the day of the election, if we see any Accord Party members, we’ll kill them. We cannot be watching.”