2027: INEC threatens ₦10m fine, 12-month jail term for abusive campaign

The Independent National Electoral Commission has warned politicians and political parties against the use of abusive, intemperate or inflammatory language during campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC said offenders risk heavy financial penalties and possible imprisonment under the Electoral Act 2026, as concerns grow over threats allegedly being made by some political actors against voters, opponents and dissenting voices.

The Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, gave the warning in a telephone interview, stressing that campaign rhetoric crosses the legal threshold into electoral intimidation when it goes beyond robust partisan debate or policy criticism and becomes coercive, hateful or threatening.

Oketola said Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026 prohibits campaign language capable of injuring religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.

According to him, the law also prohibits abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language, as well as insinuations and innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reactions or emotions during political campaigns.

He explained that campaign rhetoric becomes outright intimidation when it threatens force or violence, whether directly or indirectly, against voters, candidates or electoral officials.

Such threats, he said, could include warnings of physical harm, economic reprisals or social exclusion aimed at compelling or discouraging support for a particular candidate.

Oketola added that political campaigns must not be used to create an atmosphere of fear capable of discouraging voter turnout or disenfranchising particular groups.

On the role of INEC in addressing the trend, he clarified that the commission is an election management body and not a security agency. However, he said Section 95 of the Electoral Act 2026 provides for a security framework for political rallies involving the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and other relevant security agencies.

He said INEC was also empowered to monitor political campaigns and enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct for Political Parties, adding that the commission could issue queries and sanction non compliant parties within its administrative powers.

Oketola disclosed that Section 96(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 provides for severe penalties for individuals found guilty of the offences.

He said any candidate convicted of such offences could face a maximum fine of ₦5 million or imprisonment for up to 12 months, while a non compliant political party could be fined ₦10 million for a first offence and ₦2 million for each subsequent offence.

The INEC official, however, stressed that protecting the integrity of the electoral process was a collective responsibility that could not be left to the commission alone.

He said the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies had a responsibility to prevent the breakdown of law and order during political campaigns.

Oketola also urged the media to play its watchdog role by calling out politicians who make incendiary statements, while traditional and religious leaders should use their moral authority to encourage political actors to avoid inflammatory rhetoric capable of provoking violence.

The warning comes amid a series of controversial statements attributed to political actors in different parts of the country ahead of the 2027 elections.

In Osun State, Senator Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi was invited and questioned by the police over a viral video in which he was alleged to have called for violence against members of a rival political group in Ilesa.

Governor Ademola Adeleke subsequently rejected a clarification issued by the senator’s media office, describing the remarks as a national security concern and calling for appropriate action.

In the Federal Capital Territory, Kuje Area Council Chairman Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo also came under criticism after reportedly warning residents who did not support the All Progressives Congress to relocate ahead of the 2027 elections.

Similarly, Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, was criticised over remarks threatening punishment for people who refused to support the APC in 2027.

In Yobe State, APC Chairman Mohammed Gadaka also attracted public criticism after making controversial remarks suggesting that married women should leave their husbands if the men opposed their support for the party. He later withdrew the statement following public backlash.

Other controversial incidents have been reported in Kebbi and Ebonyi states, further heightening concerns about the tone of political discourse ahead of the 2027 elections.

The International Republican Institute, in a pre election assessment of Nigeria’s democratic environment, reportedly noted more than 81 election related violent incidents in Osun State in the year preceding the 2026 governorship election.

Against this backdrop, INEC said political actors must remain within the bounds of the law and ensure that campaigns focus on competing ideas and policies rather than threats and intimidation.

Oketola said: “Political campaigns should be platforms of competing ideas, not theatres of war.”