ABUJA, Nigeria — The Independent National Electoral Commission warned political parties and candidates that they face fines of up to ₦10,000,000 ($6,666) and a 12-month prison sentence for using abusive, intemperate, or inflammatory language during campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election.
The Chief Press Secretary/Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, stated the position of the commission during a telephone interview on Sunday, September 6, 2026.
Okay News reports that Adedayo Oketola stated that campaign rhetoric crosses into legal intimidation when it moves beyond partisan debate into coercion, hate speech, or threats of harm.
“Under the Nigerian legal framework, rhetoric becomes punishable intimidation when it incites ethnic, religious, or regional hostility through abusive, base, or slanderous language explicitly designed to provoke violent emotions or target specific groups,” Adedayo Oketola said, citing Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026.
Adedayo Oketola said: “A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.”
He said that the law provides that “abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language, insinuations, innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.”
Adedayo Oketola clarified that while the Independent National Electoral Commission monitors campaigns, Section 95 of the Electoral Act 2026 outlines the security architecture involving the Nigeria Police Force and the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps.
Under Section 96(7) of the Electoral Act 2026, individual candidates who commit these offenses face a maximum fine of ₦5,000,000 ($3,333) or imprisonment for 12 months, while non-compliant political parties face a fine of ₦10,000,000 ($6,666) for a first offense and ₦2,000,000 ($1,333) for subsequent violations.
The warning follows remarks by politicians across the country, including Osun East Senator, Francis Adenigba Fadahunsi, who was questioned by the Nigeria Police Force over a viral video, and Kuje Area Council Chairman, Samuel Danjuma Shekwolo, who warned non-All Progressives Congress supporters to relocate. Additionally, Borno State Commissioner for Youth and Sports Development, Sainna Buba, Yobe State Chairman of the APC, Alhaji Mohammed Gadaka, Gwandu Local Government Area Chairman, Alhaji Atiku Ahmad Mandiya, and Ebonyi State Governor, Francis Nwifuru, issued controversial statements targeting opposition voters and party members.
Data from the International Republican Institute and the Kimpact Development Initiative documented multiple instances of political violence leading up to recent local and state elections.
“Political campaigns should be platforms of competing ideas, not theatres of war,” Adedayo Oketola said.
