By EMMANUEL OLONIRUHA

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political actors against violence, intimidation and inflammatory rhetoric ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, issued the warning on Monday in Abuja at a strategic workshop for editors organised by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE).

The workshop, organised in collaboration with INEC, was under the theme: ‘Strengthening Democracy Through Partnership Among Editors, Civil Society and Electoral Institutions.’

Amupitan said no political office in Nigeria was worth the blood of a single citizen, warning against the use of weapons during campaigns.

He said the commission was tracking disturbing security reports, including an incident involving a candidate in Kano allegedly brandishing a firearm during a campaign.

“Just before I was invited to come and speak, somebody shared with me a post of a candidate in Kano, who was campaigning yesterday with a gun in his hands.

“Another person was threatening with AK-47, they will kill all of us in the commission. That is how election has turned into in Nigeria,” he said.

Amupitan said democracy thrived on the clash of ideas rather than weapons, intimidation and the proliferation of hate speech.

He said the commission, through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), had activated an early-warning framework.

The framework, he said, would track incidents of thuggery and dangerous campaign rhetoric ahead of the elections.

“Any political party or candidate implicated in inciting violence, disrupting rivals’ rallies, or deploying armed thugs will face direct statutory sanctions and swift prosecution.

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

The INEC chairman urged politicians, editors and other stakeholders to make patriotism the watchword of the electoral process.

He said Nigerians must be provided an environment where they could freely exercise their franchise based on credible and accurate information.

“INEC being the institution for democracy, if INEC is destroyed, then it’s like destroying democracy.

“If democracy is destroyed, then we cannot be talking of development,” he said.

On vote buying, Amupitan said INEC was taking an uncompromising position against financial inducement in all its forms.

He said INEC was strengthening collaboration with the Federal Ministry of Justice and anti-graft agencies to track illegal campaign spending.

He added that undercover surveillance would be deployed at polling units nationwide to tackle vote buying.

“To the political actors and their agents: attempt to trade cash or material gifts for votes, and you will face immediate arrest and prosecution under the Electoral Act 2026.

“Elections must be decided by the conviction of the voter, not the depth of a candidate’s pocket,” he said.

Amupitan pledged INEC’s commitment to providing a transparent, technology-driven and level playing field for credible elections in 2027 and beyond.

He said the commission would continue improving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).

The improvements, he said, would ensure that every valid vote counted and was transparently seen to count.

Amupitan also urged editors to partner with INEC in combating fake news and misinformation about the electoral process.

He recalled that a video falsely claiming National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) members were killed during the last FCT area council elections had been circulated.

He said the false report was intended to mislead the public and undermine confidence in the electoral process.

“Electoral trust is not a legal presumption, nor is it an administrative inheritance; it is a precious public currency,” he said.

Amupitan said electoral trust was earned through consistent, verifiable performance and radical transparency.

He warned that unverified rumours, operational misinterpretations and deliberate disinformation could erode institutional trust within minutes.

“When public confidence in electoral processes wavers, the entire edifice of democratic governance is threatened,” he said.

He urged newsrooms to prioritise factual accuracy over sensational headlines and provide proper context when reporting electoral logistics.

The INEC chairman also called for thorough verification of information before publication, particularly during politically sensitive periods.

He proposed that the NGE leadership and INEC’s communication team establish a periodic feedback mechanism leading up to 2027.

The mechanism, he said, would review operational progress, resolve emerging newsroom concerns and maintain seamless communication between the commission and editors. (NAN)

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