2027 Polls: EU flays rising violence, hate speech, pledges support for NHRC

By Ikechukwu Nnochiri ABUJA – The European Union (EU) on Wednesday expressed concern over reports of election-related violence, hate speech and political intimidation ahead of the 2027 general elections. Speaking at the opening session of the 2026 Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders Forum on the State of Human Rights, held in Abuja, the EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, H.E.

Gautier Mignot, maintained that such incidents undermine democratic gains and discourage citizens from participating fully in the electoral process. He described open forums, free media, peaceful assembly and civil society organisations as essential to elections, noting that they promote transparency and enable citizens to share facts, debate and scrutinise candidates for elective office without fear of censorship or retaliation.

“Free civic and political spaces also help hold leaders and institutions accountable by enabling CSOs and active citizens to monitor election administration, track campaign promises and challenge government policies. “By enabling free association and assembly, robust civic and political spaces prevent authorities from backsliding or from manipulating rules.

“It is vital to ensure credibility and public confidence in an election. “The absence or weakening of these safeguards will directly undermine citizens’ rights to participate meaningfully in elections. This is why the European Union, together with its member states, is committed to ensuring the sustenance of free civic and political spaces in Nigeria,” the EU leader added.

He further pledged the EU’s commitment to support key institutions like the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and CSOs to synergise efforts towards strengthening democracy and good governance in the country. “Our objective is not to interfere in the elections but to support legitimate Nigerian stakeholders to fully play their roles in order to contribute to a free, fair, credible electoral process.

“Stakeholders, the public sector, civil society, political parties, the media, all have a very important role to play,” Mignot stated. The event, which was organised by the NHRC, was themed “Protecting Human Rights in Civic and Political Spaces in the 2027 Elections.” In his address, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, said the forum was convened because democracy does not survive on election day alone.

“It survives in the space between elections: in the freedom of citizens to speak without fear, to assemble without permits, to associate without obstruction, and to choose their leaders without intimidation. “Section 14 of our Constitution declares that sovereignty belongs to the people of Nigeria; Sections 39 and 40 guarantee expression, association and assembly; and Article 13 of the African Charter, which Nigeria has domesticated, makes the right to participation directly enforceable.

“The right to participate in the conduct of public affairs, including through free and genuine elections under Article 25 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), is the heartbeat of every freedom we defend. “When that right is suppressed, democracy does not merely stumble; it begins to die, quietly, through apathy, fear and distrust,” the NHRC boss stated.

He decried that, with the elections drawing near, journalists and human rights defenders continue to operate in challenging environments marked by harassment, arbitrary arrests and the misapplication of laws, including provisions of the Cybercrimes Act. “We are concerned by political and voter intimidation, by political exclusion through prohibitive nomination fees that bar women, youth and persons with disabilities from candidature, by the persistence of hate speech and incitement, and by regulatory uncertainties around digital platforms.

“And we are concerned, above all, by impunity, evidenced by the absence of accountability for electoral crimes. “As I said recently when I received the UNOWAS delegation led by Special Representative Leonardo Santos Simão: as long as people can commit these election-related offences and go scot-free, then anybody can try anything they like. “These are warning lights, not yet verdicts.

The window to correct course is now, and that is precisely why this Forum meets today,” Ojukwu, SAN, added. In his goodwill message, the National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Dr. Yusuf Dantalle, said the experience of recent off-cycle elections, particularly the campaign period preceding the recent governorship election in Osun State, underscored the urgent need to address election-related violence and protect citizens throughout the electoral cycle.

The IPAC leader, in his speech, which was read by Mr. Chinedu Obi, said: “Democracy is not defined by election day alone; it must be reflected in the entire process, from political campaigns and voter mobilisation to voting, collation and declaration of results. “As we approach 2027, poli