Amnesty International Nigeria has issued a stern warning to political actors and influential figures across the country, pledging to systematically identify, expose, and pursue international sanctions against anyone involved in financing electoral violence or engaging in vote-buying.
​The rights organisation declared that political power and elite status will no longer shield perpetrators from criminal prosecution, visa restrictions, and global asset freezes.
The details of the statement that was released on Monday, October 19, 2026, at the Amnesty International Nigeria Country Office, Maitland Street, Asokoro, Abuja, through the Spokesperson, Comrade Auwal Musa Rafsanjani, Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Amnesty International Nigeria
​Addressing journalists and civil society representatives at a press conference in Abuja, Auwal Musa Rafsanjani stressed that voter intimidation, political thug recruitment, and vote manipulation violate fundamental human rights and undermine Nigeria’s democratic foundation.
​”Nigerian lives are not expendable, votes are not for sale, and political power must never shield perpetrators of electoral violence,” Rafsanjani stated. “We are compiling comprehensive dossiers on political figures, security personnel, and wealthy financiers who engineer violence or monetize the ballot box. No matter how high-ranking or politically connected they are, they will face justice.”
Amnesty International urged the Nigerian government, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), and federal law enforcement agencies to investigate, arrest, and prosecute sponsors of political violence without political bias or delay.
The organisation announced active collaboration with foreign embassies and international partners, including the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, to enforce strict visa bans and foreign asset freezes against individuals linked to election disruption.
Amnesty International will deploy independent observers across election hotspots to gather evidence, publish detailed watchdog reports, and directly expose political actors sponsoring armed gangs or vote-trading schemes. The rights group called on security agencies to maintain strict political neutrality, safeguarding citizens’ right to vote safely without fear of harassment or reprisals.
​Amnesty International warned that recurring electoral violence and unchecked vote-buying stem from decades of failure to hold high-profile political sponsors accountable. The group reiterated that breaking the cycle of electoral corruption requires decisive legal action and swift punitive measures to restore public faith in Nigeria’s democratic process.
