NHRC urges peaceful 2027 polls, warns politicians against hate speech, urges citizens to vote

NHRC Executive Secretary Professor Tony Ojukwu called for a peaceful, inclusive and rights-respecting polity ahead of Nigeria's 2027 general elections, speaking on the 2026 International Day of Democracy. Through Director Corporate Affairs Fatimah Agwai Mohammed, Ojukwu urged politicians, parties and supporters to exercise restraint in public utterances, avoid hate speech, ethnic profiling and threats, and make campaigns issue-based as democracy thrives on debate not incitement. He emphasized that words can build peace or destroy the nation, and stressed that the Permanent Voter's Card remains the people's power to choose leaders. Ojukwu called on every eligible Nigerian to rise above voter apathy, actively exercise civic rights by voting, and not sell votes or believe votes don't count—warning that democracy dies when citizens withdraw and remain silent. He further called on the Federal Government, INEC and security agencies to ensure a level playing field, guarantee safety for voters, journalists, observers and citizens, and promptly investigate and prosecute anyone sponsoring violence, vote-buying, voter suppression or attacks on democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 polls, stating impunity remains democracy's greatest threat.

SOURCE: https://dailypost.ng/2026/09/16/nhrc-seeks-peaceful-inclusive-polity-ahead-of-2027-election/