By Saminu Ibrahim
Ahead of the 2027 general elections, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has cautioned politicians, religious leaders and other stakeholders against hate speech, incitement, intimidation and divisive rhetoric.
The Executive Secretary of the Commission, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, spoke on Thursday at a press conference in Abuja.
Specifically, Ojukwu said recent statements attributed to some public figures, including Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir and Senator Francis Fadahunsi, had raised concerns over the potential for inflammatory rhetoric to deepen social divisions and trigger violence.
He stressed that although freedom of expression was a fundamental human right, it did not give anyone the licence to incite violence, promote hatred or dehumanise individuals or communities.
The NHRC boss warned that unchecked hate speech could result in political violence, voter intimidation, discrimination, communal tensions, suppression of civic participation and loss of confidence in democratic institutions.
Additionally, he cited the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda as a reminder of the dangers of sustained propaganda, denigration and incitement.
“Nigeria is not Rwanda, but the Commission suggests that the situation if unchecked could escalate circumstances into uncontrolled violence and chaos. God forbid,” Ojukwu said.
He urged political parties to call their members to order and strengthen internal mechanisms to prevent and sanction inflammatory statements.
Ojukwu also called on religious, traditional and community leaders to use their influence to promote peace, tolerance and peaceful coexistence.
Continuing, he urged security and law enforcement agencies to act on credible cases of incitement, intimidation and threats in accordance with the law, while respecting due process and fundamental rights.
The NHRC further charged the media to exercise caution in reporting inflammatory statements and avoid amplifying harmful content without proper context and verification.
Ojukwu also urged social media users to verify information before sharing content capable of provoking hatred, hostility or violence.
He said the Commission would continue to monitor developments, document human rights violations and engage stakeholders throughout the electoral cycle.
According to him, the 2027 elections should be contests of ideas, policies, programmes and competence, rather than battles driven by ethnic, religious or political hatred.
“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.
The NHRC boss urged Nigerians to preserve national unity, saying political disagreements must not be allowed to destroy the country.
Ojukwu emphasized: “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,”.