The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has warned Nigerians against hate speech, incitement, intimidation and divisive rhetoric ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying unchecked inflammatory language could undermine human rights, peaceful coexistence and democratic participation.
The Executive Secretary/Chief Executive Officer of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, gave the warning on Thursday at a press conference at the NHRC headquarters in Abuja.
Ojukwu said the Commission was increasingly concerned about the use of hateful, intimidating, intolerant, denigrating, inflammatory and divisive rhetoric in public discourse and its potential consequences for the country’s peace and democratic process.
He said the NHRC, as Nigeria’s independent National Human Rights Institution with a mandate to promote, protect and monitor human rights, had a responsibility to intervene whenever public discourse threatened human dignity, equality, peace and fundamental rights and freedoms.
The Executive Secretary said the Commission had recently expressed concern over statements attributed to certain public figures, including Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir and Senator Francis Fadahunsi, which, in its assessment, had crossed the red line for decency and had the potential to denigrate individuals or groups, deepen social divisions, heighten tensions and instigate violence.
He stressed, however, that the Commission’s intervention was not directed at any political party, religious group, ethnic community or individual, but was a human rights intervention aimed at protecting the dignity and equal worth of every person and preserving the conditions necessary for peaceful, credible and inclusive elections.
According to Ojukwu, freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, but it come with responsibilities.
He said the right to free expression “does not provide a licence to incite violence, promote hatred, dehumanise others or deliberately provoke hostility against persons or communities.”
The NHRC boss warned that hate speech should not be dismissed as mere political rhetoric, noting that portraying individuals or communities as enemies, inferior, dangerous or undeserving of rights and protection could contribute to discrimination, exclusion, intimidation and violence.
He identified the possible consequences as erosion of human dignity and equality, escalation of violence, discrimination against individuals and communities, intimidation of voters and political opponents, restrictions on meaningful political participation, deepening ethnic, religious and regional divisions, and declining public confidence in democratic institutions.
Ojukwu also invoked the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda as a painful historical reminder of the destructive power of propaganda, denigration, dehumanisation and incitement.
He, however, stressed that Nigeria was not Rwanda, but warned that the lesson from history was universal and that societies should not wait until inflammatory rhetoric translated into violence before taking preventive action.
“The situation, if unchecked, could escalate circumstances into uncontrolled violence and chaos. God forbid,” he said.
He maintained that prevention was a fundamental human rights obligation, adding that government had the primary responsibility under national and international law to prevent violence and protect citizens.
Ojukwu said the 2027 elections must be contests of ideas, policies, programmes, competence and service, rather than contests defined by hatred, ethnic hostility or religious antagonism.
He warned that unchecked divisive rhetoric could fuel political violence through attacks, intimidation and threats against opponents and voters; heighten communal tensions; cause displacement and insecurity; suppress civic participation; erode democratic institutions and public trust; and deepen social fragmentation beyond the elections.
The NHRC Executive Secretary therefore called on public officials, political actors, candidates and aspirants to exercise the highest level of responsibility in their public statements and political communication.
He urged political parties to call their members to order and strengthen internal mechanisms for preventing and sanctioning intimidating and inflammatory rhetoric while promoting issue-based campaigns that respect human rights.
He also appealed to religious, traditional and community leaders to use their influence to promote peace, tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence rather than hate, violence and disunity.
The Commission further urged law enforcement and other relevant institutions to respond appropriately to credible cases of incitement, intimidation, threats and unlawful conduct in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws, while respecting due process and fundamental rights.
Ojukwu called on the media to uphold professional and ethical standards in reporting inflammatory statements, warning against amplifying potentially harmful content without adequate context, verification and public-interest considerations.
He similarly urged social media users and digital platforms to act responsibly, particularly by verifying information before sharing content capable of provoking hatred, hostility or violence.
The NHRC also encouraged citizens who experience or witness human rights violations to report them through appropriate lawful channels, including the Commission.
‘Let Us Disagree Without Dehumanising One Another’
The Executive Secretary said the responsibility for preventing election-related violence did not rest with government or security institutions alone, stressing that every Nigerian had a role to play.
“To our political leaders, we say: compete on ideas, programmes, competence and your record of service not on hatred or division,” he said.
He urged religious and traditional leaders to use their platforms to build bridges and protect the dignity of every Nigerian, while charging the media to inform the public without becoming an amplifier of hatred or incitement.
Ojukwu also appealed to young Nigerians, particularly those active online, not to allow themselves to be used as instruments for spreading inflammatory content or misinformation.
He said Nigeria’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity should be regarded as part of the richness of the country’s national identity rather than a source of division.
The NHRC Executive Secretary reaffirmed the Commission’s commitment to monitoring developments, documenting human rights concerns, engaging relevant stakeholders and using its statutory powers to promote and protect human rights throughout the electoral cycle.
He said the Commission would continue to advocate a human rights-based approach to elections, placing the dignity, safety, equality and participation of every Nigerian at the centre of the democratic process.
“We must act before rhetoric becomes violence. We must promote dialogue before division becomes conflict. And we must protect human dignity before violations become irreversible,” he said.
Ojukwu urged all Nigerians to work towards an electoral environment where disagreement would not become hatred, political competition would not become violence, and diversity would not become a justification for discrimination.
“The forthcoming elections should be an opportunity to strengthen our democracy, not a trigger for division,” he said.
“Let us disagree without dehumanising one another. Let us compete without destroying one another. Let us campaign without inciting one another. And let us protect the Nigeria we all share.”He concluded
