INEC WARNS AGAINST INFLAMMATORY CAMPAIGN LANGUAGES

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a firm warning to politicians and political parties against employing abusive, intemperate, or inflammatory language during electioneering. Electoral authorities cautioned that violators risk heavy financial penalties and potential imprisonment under the Electoral Act 2026, as concern grows over a rising tide of intimidation directed at dissenting voters by political office holders.

Clarifying the legal boundaries for campaign rhetoric, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Oketola, explained during a interview on Sunday that political discourse crosses into unlawful electoral intimidation when it transitions from policy critiques into coercion, hate speech, or explicit threats of harm.

Citing Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026, Oketola noted that campaign messaging becomes punishable under Nigerian law when it deliberately incites ethnic, religious, or regional hostility. He emphasized that using base, slanderous, or abusive language specifically designed to manipulate public emotions or target demographic groups represents a clear statutory violation.

“A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings,” Oketola quoted from the legal framework. He reiterated that any insinuations, innuendoes, or base language calculated to provoke violent reactions remain strictly prohibited across all political platforms.

To enforce compliance, Section 96(7) of the Act outlines strict statutory penalties. Candidates convicted of using abusive or threatening rhetoric face a maximum fine of ₦5,000,000, a 12-month prison sentence, or both. Meanwhile, non-compliant political parties face a fine of ₦10,000,000 for a first offense, alongside an additional ₦2,000,000 penalty for every subsequent violation.

While underscoring that INEC is an election management body rather than a law enforcement agency, Oketola urged security personnel, civil society, media outlets, and community leaders to collaborate in curbing political violence. He stressed that political campaigns must remain marketplaces of competing ideas rather than arenas of fear or hostility.