By George Ozalla
The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised concern over the growing use of hate speech, intimidation, incitement and divisive rhetoric ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that unchecked inflammatory statements could threaten human rights, peaceful coexistence and democratic participation.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, OFR, SAN, gave the warning on Thursday at a press conference at the NHRC headquarters in Abuja, where he called on political actors, public officials, religious and traditional leaders, the media, social media users and other Nigerians to exercise restraint in their public communication.
Ojukwu said the Commission had in recent weeks expressed concern over statements attributed to some public figures, including Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir and Senator Francis Fadahunsi, which, in the assessment of the Commission, had crossed the line of decency and had the potential to denigrate individuals or groups, deepen social divisions, heighten tensions and instigate violence.
He said the NHRC’s intervention was not directed at any political party, religious group, ethnic community or individual, but was a human rights intervention intended to protect the dignity and equal worth of every person and preserve the conditions necessary for peaceful, credible and inclusive elections.
According to him, freedom of expression is a fundamental human right, but it carries responsibilities and cannot be used as a licence to incite violence, promote hatred, dehumanise others or deliberately provoke hostility against persons or communities.
“Hate speech should not be dismissed as mere political rhetoric or provocative language,” Ojukwu said, warning that public discourse which portrays individuals or communities as enemies, inferior, dangerous or undeserving of rights and protection could contribute to discrimination, exclusion, intimidation and violence.
He listed the possible consequences as the erosion of human dignity and equality, escalation of violence, discrimination against individuals and communities, restrictions on meaningful political participation, intimidation of voters and political opponents, deepening ethnic, religious and regional divisions and loss of public confidence in democratic institutions.
The NHRC Executive Secretary said the concerns were rooted in Nigeria’s constitutional and international human rights obligations, including the protection of human dignity, equality, freedom of expression and peaceful participation in public affairs.
He, however, stressed that any response to hate speech and other harmful expressions must be based on the law, due process and respect for fundamental rights.
Ojukwu recalled the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda as one of the world’s painful reminders of the destructive consequences of propaganda, denigration, dehumanisation and incitement.
He cautioned that although Nigeria was not Rwanda, the country must learn from the experience and take preventive measures before inflammatory rhetoric develops into violence.
“The lesson is universal: societies must not wait until inflammatory rhetoric translates into violence before taking preventive action,” he said.
According to him, prevention is a fundamental human rights obligation, while government has the primary responsibility under national and international law to prevent violence and protect the people.
He said dangerous narratives must be identified and addressed early, adding that responsible public communication should be encouraged and those who violate the boundaries established by law should be held accountable through lawful processes.
On the 2027 general elections, Ojukwu said elections should give citizens the opportunity to freely determine their political future and should therefore be contests of ideas, policies, programmes, competence and service.
He warned that elections defined by hatred, ethnic hostility or religious antagonism could produce political violence through attacks, intimidation and threats against opponents and voters.
He also identified communal tensions, displacement and insecurity, suppression of civic participation, erosion of democratic institutions and public trust, as well as long-term social fragmentation, as possible consequences of unchecked divisive rhetoric.
The NHRC boss said the protection of human rights and prevention of election-related violence should be treated as complementary objectives, stressing that the Commission would continue to monitor developments throughout the electoral cycle.
He called on public officials, political actors, candidates and aspirants to exercise the highest level of responsibility in their statements and political communication.
Ojukwu also urged political parties to call their members to order and strengthen internal mechanisms for preventing and sanctioning intimidating and inflammatory rhetoric, while encouraging issue-based campaigns that respect the rights of citizens.
He appealed to religious, traditional and community leaders to use their influence to promote peace, tolerance, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence rather than hatred, violence and disunity.
He further called on law enforcement agencies and other relevant institutions to respond appropriately to credible cases of incitement, intimidation, threats and other unlawful conduct in accordance with the Constitution and applicable laws, while respecting due process and fundamental rights.
The Commission also urged the media to maintain professional and ethical standards when reporting intimidating and inflammatory statements.
Ojukwu said responsible journalism required that potentially harmful content should not be amplified without context, verification and proper consideration of the public interest.
He similarly called on social media users and digital platforms to act responsibly in the creation and dissemination of content, urging Nigerians to verify information before sharing material capable of provoking hatred, hostility or violence.
He encouraged citizens who experience or witness human rights violations to report such incidents through appropriate lawful channels, including the National Human Rights Commission.
Ojukwu said the responsibility for preventing election-related violence did not rest solely with government and security agencies, stressing that every Nigerian had a role to play.
He urged political leaders to compete on the basis of ideas, programmes, competence and records of service rather than hatred and division, while calling on religious and traditional leaders to use their platforms to build bridges and protect the dignity of every Nigerian.
He appealed to the media to inform the public without becoming an amplifier of hatred or incitement, and urged young Nigerians, particularly those who make up a significant part of the country’s online population, not to allow themselves to be used to spread inflammatory content or misinformation.
Ojukwu said Nigeria’s ethnic, religious and cultural diversity should not be regarded as a weakness, but as part of the country’s national identity.
He said the NHRC would continue to monitor developments, document human rights concerns, engage relevant stakeholders and use its statutory powers to promote and protect human rights throughout the electoral process.
The Commission, he added, 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 said the forthcoming elections should provide an opportunity to strengthen Nigeria’s democracy rather than trigger division, noting that the country had faced difficult moments in the past and had repeatedly demonstrated its ability to overcome differences.
He called for responsible leadership, responsible communication and renewed commitment to the principle that every Nigerian is entitled to dignity, equality and protection under the law.
“The National Human Rights Commission will not remain silent when human dignity and fundamental rights are threatened,” he said.
He urged all stakeholders 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.
“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,” Ojukwu said.
