INEC Draws the Line: Politicians Face Fines and Jail Over Abusive Campaign Language Ahead of 2027

As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned politicians that abusive, threatening and inflammatory campaign language could come with serious legal consequences. The warning comes at a time when political rhetoric is already becoming increasingly heated, with politicians and supporters trading insults, threats and provocative statements across rallies and social media. INEC says political campaigns are expected to focus on policies, ideas and issues—not language capable of provoking violence, intimidating voters or inflaming ethnic, religious or sectional tensions. According to INEC, Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026 prohibits campaign language that could injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional sentiments or provoke violent reactions. The Commission has also warned that threats against voters, political opponents or dissenting residents can cross the line from ordinary political criticism into electoral intimidation. Under the penalty cited by INEC, a candidate convicted of the offence could face a fine of up to ₦5 million or 12 months’ imprisonment, while a political party could face a ₦10 million fine for a first offence and ₦2 million for subsequent offences. For years, Nigerian political campaigns have frequently been accompanied by insults, personal attacks, threats and inflammatory speeches. But with the 2027 elections approaching, INEC is signalling that politicians may no longer be able to dismiss every provocative statement as ordinary campaign rhetoric. The Commission has stressed that criticism of an opponent or disagreement over government policies is not automatically an offence. The concern arises when political language becomes threatening, coercive, hateful or capable of provoking violence. The warning comes as political activity intensifies across the country ahead of the 2027 general elections. INEC has called on political parties, security agencies, the media, traditional rulers and religious leaders to help prevent inflammatory rhetoric from escalating into violence. The message is clear: political competition should be about winning voters, not frightening them.