The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties, candidates and campaign managers against allowing the 2027 election process to degenerate into violence, intimidation and inflammatory rhetoric. INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan said no political office is worth the blood of a Nigerian.
Amupitan gave the warning in Abuja at a strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors in collaboration with INEC. He said the commission’s early-warning framework would monitor political violence, thuggery and dangerous campaign rhetoric as electioneering intensifies.
The INEC chairman said parties and candidates found inciting violence, disrupting opponents’ rallies or deploying armed thugs would face statutory sanctions and prosecution. He also announced measures to tackle vote-buying and illegal campaign spending ahead of the 2027 polls.
Amupitan said INEC is working with agencies including the EFCC, ICPC, NFIU and the Federal Ministry of Justice to monitor campaign finances and curb vote-buying. He also disclosed that the voter register has surpassed 103 million, while 57,000 new BVAS devices have been acquired for the elections.