INEC Unleashes Iron Fist: N10m Fine, Jail Time for Abusive 2027 Campaigns
INEC has issued a strict warning to politicians and parties against using abusive or inflammatory language in the 2027 general election campaigns. Offenders risk heavy fines and imprisonment under the Electoral Act 2026, as INEC defines electoral intimidation and stresses collective responsibility for maintaining electoral integrity. The commission's stance follows a recent wave of political threats.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a stern warning to politicians and political parties, cautioning them against the use of abusive, intemperate, or inflammatory language during their campaigns for the upcoming 2027 general election. The commission stated that offenders could face heavy fines and potential imprisonment under the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
Adedayo Oketola, the Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, clarified in a telephone interview that campaign rhetoric crosses the legal boundary into electoral intimidation when it moves beyond robust partisan debate or policy critique. It specifically becomes illegal when it enters the realm of coercion, hate speech, or the explicit threat of harm.
Oketola further elaborated that, under the Nigerian legal framework, rhetoric is considered punishable intimidation if it incites ethnic, religious, or regional hostility. This includes the use of abusive, base, or slanderous language explicitly designed to provoke violent emotions or to target specific groups. He directly quoted Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026, which states, “A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.” The law also prohibits the employment or use of “abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language, insinuations, innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions” in political campaigns.
Beyond language, campaign rhetoric transitions into outright intimidation if it involves threats of force or violence. This encompasses direct or indirect warnings to voters, candidates, or electoral officials of physical harm, economic reprisal, or social ostracism, intended to compel or suppress support for a candidate. Additionally, political campaigns must not create an atmosphere of fear calculated to deter voter turnout or disenfranchise specific demographics.
Addressing INEC’s capacity to act on these violations, Oketola clarified that while INEC is an election management body and not a security agency, it is statutorily empowered to monitor political campaigns and enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct for Political Parties. Within its administrative limits, the Commission can issue formal queries and sanction non-compliant parties. He also highlighted that Section 95 of the Electoral Act 2026 explicitly prescribes the security architecture for political rallies, detailing the operational roles of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps (NSCDC), and other security institutions for inter-agency security coordination.
To act as a deterrent, Section 96(7) of the Electoral Act 2026 outlines severe statutory penalties for offenders. Any candidate found guilty of these offences is liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of ₦5,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months. Political parties face even stiffer sanctions, with a fine of ₦10,000,000 for the first instance of non-compliance, and ₦2,000,000 for each subsequent offence.
However, Oketola insisted that preserving electoral integrity is a collective duty, not solely the responsibility of INEC. He emphasized the clear duty of the Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies to prevent the breakdown of law and order during political campaigns. Furthermore, he called upon the media to actively fulfill its watchdog role by exposing purveyors of incendiary statements, and urged traditional and religious leaders to use their moral authority to encourage politicians to eschew inflammatory rhetoric and avoid provoking violence across the country.
This warning from the INEC spokesman comes in the wake of a recent surge in threats from highly placed political office holders nationwide, who have openly threatened voters, opponents, and dissenting residents with violence, eviction, and physical harm ahead of the 2027 polls. Such actions have already drawn widespread condemnation from civil society groups, rights organizations, and opposition politicians. Oketola concluded by stating, “Political campaigns should be platforms of competing ideas, not theatres of war.”