“No political office in this country is worth the blood of a single Nigerian” — INEC warns politicians ahead of 2027

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has issued a strong warning to politicians ahead of the 2027 general election, saying no political ambition is worth the life of a Nigerian.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the warning in Abuja on Monday at a strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with the electoral commission.

Amupitan said political parties, candidates and campaign managers involved in violence, intimidation, hate speech or vote buying would face sanctions and prosecution.

INEC raises alarm over political violence

The commission chairman said INEC had activated an early warning framework through the Inter Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICCES, to monitor political violence, thuggery and dangerous campaign rhetoric.

Amupitan said, “Democracy thrives on the clash of ideas, not the clash of weapons or the proliferation of hate speech.”

He added, “No political office in this country is worth the blood of a single Nigerian.”

The chairman also said he had been shown material alleging that an NDC candidate in Kano State campaigned while brandishing a firearm. He further disclosed that a threat had allegedly been made against INEC officials involving AK-47 rifles.

INEC targets vote buying ahead of 2027

Amupitan said the commission would also take an uncompromising position against vote buying and was working with agencies including the EFCC, ICPC and NFIU to tackle illegal campaign spending.

He also disclosed that more than 10.6 million new voters had been registered across three phases of the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, while INEC had acquired 57,000 new BVAS devices ahead of the elections.

The warning comes as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 polls, with INEC stressing the need for peaceful and credible elections.