The European Union (EU), alongside the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), has expressed grave concern over mounting reports of election-related violence, hate speech, political intimidation, and the shrinking of civic space ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The warning was issued on Wednesday, November 11, 2026, during the morning opening session of the 2026 Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders Forum on the State of Human Rights, held in Abuja. The event was convened by the NHRC in collaboration with the European Union to evaluate Nigeria’s human rights climate ahead of the upcoming polls.
Delivering the EU’s keynote remarks, the EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, H.E. Gautier Mignot, warned that incidents of political intimidation and inflammatory rhetoric threaten to erode democratic gains and deter citizens from participating in the electoral process.
Ambassador Mignot emphasized that independent media, open public forums, peaceful assembly, and active civil society organizations (CSOs) are indispensable pillars of credible elections.
He noted that robust civic and political spaces promote transparency, allow citizens to scrutinize candidates without fear of censorship or retaliation, and prevent authorities from manipulating electoral rules.
”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,” Mignot stated. Clarifying the bloc’s role, he added: “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, and credible electoral process.”
In his address, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Tony Ojukwu, SAN, stressed that democracy cannot survive on election day alone. He expressed deep concern over arbitrary arrests, harassment of human rights defenders, voter intimidation, and the alleged misuse of laws, specifically the Cybercrimes Act, to stifle legitimate civic engagement and public criticism.
Dr. Ojukwu also highlighted prohibitive party nomination fees as a barrier excluding women, youths, and persons with disabilities from seeking elective office.
Citing data from the Commission’s September 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard, which logged 338,810 violation complaints nationwide, he renewed calls for the immediate establishment of a dedicated Electoral Offences Commission in line with the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee recommendations.
To safeguard the upcoming polls, Ojukwu announced that the NHRC’s Human Rights Election Situation Room will transition to 24/7 operations throughout the election window, deploying monitors to flashpoints and partnering with legal aid groups.
Also speaking at the Abuja forum, the National Chairman of IPAC, Alhaji Yusuf Dantale, identified hate speech, vote buying, and the deployment of political thugs as major threats to Nigeria’s democratic stability.
Dantale insisted that the credibility of the 2027 elections cannot be judged solely by conduct on polling day. He demanded stronger constitutional protections for fundamental freedoms and urged security agencies and political actors to ensure that every phase, from party campaigns and voter mobilisation to voting, collation, and declaration of results, remains peaceful, inclusive, and transparent.
