The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has raised the alarm over growing harassment, arbitrary arrests, political intimidation and impunity for electoral offences ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the violations could undermine citizens’ participation and threaten the credibility of the polls.

The Commission warned that the continued failure to hold perpetrators of election-related offences accountable was emboldening political actors and other individuals to undermine democratic freedoms, insisting that Nigeria must urgently address the situation before the forthcoming elections.

Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr. Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, raised the concerns on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders Forum on the State of Human Rights, organised in collaboration with the European Union (EU).

Ojukwu, who spoke on the theme, “Protecting Human Rights in Civic and Political Spaces in the 2027 Elections”, identified harassment of civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders, political and voter intimidation, hate speech, incitement and restrictions on political participation as major threats to the country’s democratic process.

He expressed particular concern over the alleged misuse of laws, including provisions of the Cybercrimes Act, to restrict legitimate civic engagement, warning that the absence of accountability for electoral violations could encourage further abuses.

“As long as people can commit these election-related offences and go scot-free, then anybody can try anything they like,” he said.

The NHRC boss stressed that democracy must be protected beyond election days, noting that citizens must be able to express their opinions, assemble peacefully, associate freely and participate in choosing their leaders without intimidation or fear of reprisals.

He warned that when these fundamental freedoms are suppressed, democracy gradually deteriorates through voter apathy, public distrust and declining confidence in democratic institutions.

Disclosing the Commission’s preparations to address the situation, Ojukwu said the NHRC had established a comprehensive monitoring architecture for the electoral cycle, comprising its monthly Human Rights Situation Dashboard, Human Rights Observatory and Human Rights Election Situation Room.

He said the Commission was also finalising a flagship advisory on “Protecting the Political Space and the Right to Participation in Nigeria’s Elections” to guide stakeholders on safeguarding citizens’ democratic rights.

According to him, the Human Rights and Election Situation Room will operate round-the-clock during the election period, while election-focused dashboards and bulletins will be published monthly, with monitors deployed to identified hotspots.

He added that the Commission was documenting complaints, referring cases for investigation and strengthening engagements with the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies under the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), the National Peace Committee and political parties.

Ojukwu disclosed that the Commission’s September 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard recorded 338,810 complaints of human rights violations across its 38 offices nationwide, with the North Central zone accounting for the highest number.

He further revealed that the Human Rights Observatory documented 208 killings and 210 kidnappings within the period, alongside deaths in custody and violence against children.

The Commission, he said, completed 2,458 investigations and conducted 113 monitoring visits to police stations, correctional centres and other detention facilities.

He maintained that the figures underscored the urgent need for stronger institutional responses, stressing that behind every reported violation was a Nigerian whose rights and democratic participation must be protected.

In his keynote address, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, represented by Dr. Hassan Umar, also warned that credible elections could not be achieved through transparent voting and result management alone without protecting the fundamental freedoms of citizens.

Amupitan said electoral credibility depended equally on the ability of Nigerians to express opinions, associate, campaign, access information and participate in the political process without fear, intimidation, discrimination or violence.

He identified electoral violence, voter suppression, attacks on campaign activities, harassment of journalists and election observers, misinformation and digital intimidation as challenges capable of weakening democratic participation.

The INEC chairman, however, insisted that combating misinformation must not become a justification for arbitrary censorship or the suppression of legitimate criticism and dissent.

On the contentious issue of electronic transmission of election results, Amupitan maintained that Section 60(3) of the Electoral Act 2026 made electronic transmission mandatory, explaining that the provision for the use of manually completed and signed results where electronic transmission becomes impossible due to communication failure did not make electronic transmission optional.

He said INEC had issued guidelines and regulations to establish procedures for dealing with such failures and prevent deliberate manipulation of the process.

The electoral body, he added, remained committed to constructive engagement with political parties, civil society organisations, the media and election observers, while urging security agencies to protect voters, candidates, electoral officials and observers with professionalism, neutrality and respect for human rights.

Amupitan also proposed a Democratic Freedoms Compact for the 2027 elections, built around freedom of expression, association and participation without intimidation; inclusion of women, youths, persons with disabilities and displaced persons; transparent electoral processes; accountability for rights violations; peaceful political competition; and sustained engagement among stakeholders.

He called for coordinated monitoring, documentation, referral and response mechanisms, alongside continuous training for electoral officials, security personnel, journalists and election observers.

Also speaking, the European Union Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, described the forum’s theme as particularly important given reports of election-related violence, hate speech, political intimidation and restrictions on fundamental rights.

Mignot warned that such incidents eroded public trust in state institutions and discouraged citizens from participating in the electoral process.

He said open public forums, independent media, peaceful assemblies and functional civil society organisations were indispensable to ensuring transparent elections and enabling citizens to scrutinise candidates and hold political leaders accountable.

The EU ambassador reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting efforts to protect civic and political spaces in Nigeria, describing the NHRC as a strategic partner in advancing human rights and democratic governance.

Similarly, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), represented by Prince Chinedu Obi, called on political parties, candidates and their supporters to reject electoral violence, hate speech, voter suppression and political intimidation.

IPAC said the average Nigerian remained apprehensive about whether votes would count, attributing the situation to previous electoral experiences and declining public confidence in institutions.

The council urged INEC, security agencies and other stakeholders to demonstrate professionalism and impartiality, warning that the growing political tension ahead of the 2027 elections should not be taken for granted.

It also declared that civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders were partners in democratic development and should not be treated as enemies of the state for demanding accountability.

Meanwhile, Ojukwu disclosed that the National Assembly had passed the NHRC Amendment Bill, incorporating the Human Rights Defenders Bill, which he said would strengthen the Commission’s protective mandate and improve the operational environment for human rights defenders.

He also renewed the Commission’s call for the establishment of a dedicated Electoral Offences Commission, in line with the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee, to address the persistent problem of impunity surrounding electoral offences.

The NHRC executive secretary said the forum would henceforth operate as a structured quarterly engagement mechanism involving civil society organisations and human rights defenders, with early-warning information sharing, rapid response and digital safety support for individuals targeted during the electoral cycle.

Participants were also expected to adopt an outcome document and a roadmap outlining collective actions before, during and after the 2027 general elections.