The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has warned that Nigeria’s 2027 elections could be imperilled by the growing weaponisation of hate speech, intimidation and divisive rhetoric, saying the country must act before political language turns into physical violence.

The Commission said inflammatory statements by political, religious and other public figures should no longer be dismissed as mere political rhetoric, warning that sustained dehumanisation of individuals or communities could create conditions in which discrimination, intimidation and violence become socially acceptable.

Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Tony Ojukwu, SAN, gave the warning on Thursday in Abuja at a press conference convened ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Commission’s intervention is particularly significant because it shifts the hate-speech debate from the narrow question of offensive expression to the broader issue of human rights, electoral participation and prevention of political violence.

Ojukwu said the NHRC had recently raised concerns over statements attributed to Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir and Senator Francis Fadahunsi, which, in the Commission’s assessment, crossed the boundaries of responsible public discourse and had the potential to deepen social divisions and instigate violence.

He stressed, however, that the Commission was not targeting any political party, religious group, ethnic community or individual.

Rather, he said, it was making a human-rights intervention aimed at protecting the dignity and equal worth of every Nigerian and preserving the conditions required for peaceful, credible and inclusive elections.

According to him, freedom of expression remains a fundamental right, but “it does not provide a licence to incite violence, promote hatred, dehumanise others or deliberately provoke hostility against persons or communities.”

The NHRC warned that the danger posed by inflammatory rhetoric goes beyond hurt feelings or offensive speech.

It said unchecked hate speech could erode human dignity and equality, fuel violence, discriminate against communities, intimidate voters and political opponents, restrict political participation and ultimately undermine confidence in democratic institutions.

Ojukwu invoked the experience of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda as a warning of what could happen when societies ignore dangerous narratives until they translate into violence.

He was quick to stress that Nigeria was not Rwanda, but said the lesson from history was universal: societies should not wait for inflammatory rhetoric to produce bloodshed before taking preventive action.

“The situation, if unchecked, could escalate circumstances into uncontrolled violence and chaos. God forbid,” he said.

The Commission maintained that prevention was itself a human-rights obligation, arguing that government had the primary responsibility under national and international law to prevent violence and protect citizens.

The NHRC therefore called for early identification of dangerous narratives, responsible public communication and lawful accountability for persons who cross the boundaries established by law.

With the 2027 elections approaching, the Commission warned that the stakes were particularly high.

It said elections should be contests over policies, programmes, competence and records of service, rather than battles fought through ethnic hostility, religious antagonism and personal demonisation.

According to the Commission, unchecked divisive rhetoric could trigger attacks and intimidation against opponents and voters, heighten communal tensions, cause displacement and insecurity, suppress citizens’ willingness to participate and leave behind social fractures long after the elections.

Ojukwu consequently called on political parties to strengthen their internal mechanisms for preventing and sanctioning inflammatory rhetoric and to ensure that their campaigns remain issue-based.

He also charged religious, traditional and community leaders to deploy their influence towards tolerance and peaceful coexistence rather than hatred and violence.

Law enforcement agencies, he said, must respond appropriately to credible cases of incitement, intimidation, threats and other unlawful conduct, but must do so within the Constitution, applicable laws and due process.

The NHRC equally placed responsibility on the media and social-media users, warning that the amplification of inflammatory statements without context or verification could worsen tensions.

It urged journalists to apply professional and ethical standards when reporting potentially harmful statements, while calling on Nigerians to verify information before sharing content capable of provoking hostility or violence.

The Commission said it would continue to monitor developments, document human-rights violations and engage stakeholders throughout the electoral cycle.

It also pledged to advocate a human-rights-based electoral process in which the dignity, safety, equality and participation of citizens remain central.

Ojukwu ended with a direct warning to political actors and citizens: Nigeria must act before rhetoric becomes violence and before political competition degenerates into a threat to the lives and rights of citizens.

“Let us disagree without dehumanising one another. Let us compete without destroying one another.

Let us campaign without inciting one another,” he said.

The NHRC’s warning effectively places the 2027 election not only in the context of electoral integrity, but also as a human-rights test of whether Nigeria can contain the language of political warfare before it becomes the violence of the streets.

The commission also established a situation room, supported by a toll-free hotline 6472, calling on citizens to report and monitor hate speech, incitement and other divisive rhetoric ahead of the 2027 elections.