There were renewed concerns about the credibility and safety of the 2027 elections yesterday as the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Peter Obi, urged Nigerians to protect their votes, while the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) warned politicians against inflammatory rhetoric capable of provoking violence.
Obi charged the electoral umpire to resist political manipulation and ensure that Nigerians’ votes count in the polls.
He spoke in Ogugu, Olamaboro Local Government Area of Kogi State, during a thank-you tour organised to appreciate supporters following the emergence of Peter Ameh as the NDC’s Kogi East senatorial candidate...READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE .
The former Anambra State governor, who was received by a large crowd of supporters, urged INEC to conduct the 2027 elections in a free, fair and transparent manner, stressing that the will of the electorate must be respected.
He also urged Nigerians to take responsibility for protecting their votes, saying the integrity of the electoral process ultimately depends on citizens ensuring that their ballots are counted and their choices reflected in the results.
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“I am not worried about what the outcome of the 2027 general election will be. What worries me is the people and how they will protect their votes on election day. The votes of the people must be counted,” Obi told journalists.
Obi, who also engaged residents and stakeholders in parts of Kogi, Benue and Enugu states, said the recurrent concerns raised by citizens showed that Nigerians were seeking fundamental improvements in governance rather than extravagant demands.
According to him, residents in Olamaboro in Kogi, Otukpa in Benue and Obollo Afor in Enugu raised similar concerns over insecurity, unemployment, poverty and inadequate access to quality healthcare and education.
He said the consistency of the grievances across communities pointed to broader national challenges that required urgent attention from government.
Obi called for an issue-based presidential campaign, challenging candidates to move beyond political rhetoric and engage Nigerians directly on the problems confronting their communities.
“When I was coming to Kogi State today, I stopped at Obollo Afor, Otukpa Junction, and asked some of our elderly people what their challenges were. This is what I want other presidential candidates to do,” he said.
He said his nationwide engagements had allowed him to hear directly from Nigerians, particularly on education, insecurity, poverty, unemployment, healthcare and food production.
Obi said the next government must prioritise getting children into school, securing communities, improving healthcare and creating opportunities for Nigerians to earn decent livelihoods.
He also decried the level of hunger and poverty in the country, saying Nigeria’s vast agricultural potential could be harnessed to improve food security if farmers received adequate support.
“Look at our rural areas with huge farmlands. Nobody is supporting the farmers in all ramifications to enable them to produce the food we need to feed the nation,” he said.
On the economy, Obi said government had a responsibility to create an enabling environment for traders and small businesses to thrive, noting that economic hardship remained a major concern among citizens.
He reaffirmed his commitment to placing security, healthcare, education and poverty alleviation at the centre of the NDC’s political agenda.
Obi urged voters to assess political candidates based on competence, capacity, character, compassion and commitment to national development rather than sentiment or party affiliation.
He also encouraged Nigerians to participate actively in the 2027 elections by voting and safeguarding their ballots to ensure that the outcome reflects the will of the electorate.
Obi said his engagements with traditional rulers, community leaders, traders and other stakeholders were aimed at rebuilding trust between government and the people.
He said his vision remained that of a Nigeria where government effectively meets the basic needs and expectations of its citizens, declaring: “A New Nigeria is POssible.”
INEC warns politicians against inflammatory campaign rhetoric ahead of 2027
INEC has warned politicians and political parties against using abusive, inflammatory or threatening language during campaigns ahead of the general elections, saying offenders risk fines or imprisonment under the Electoral Act 2026.
The commission also urged the media to expose politicians whose statements could incite violence or intimidate voters, opponents and electoral officials.
INEC’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to its Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, gave the warning in a telephone interview yesterday.
Oketola said campaign rhetoric becomes electoral intimidation when it moves beyond normal political debate to include threats, hate speech, coercion or calls for violence.
“Under the Nigerian legal framework, rhetoric becomes punishable intimidation when it incites ethnic, religious, or regional hostility through abusive, base, or slanderous language explicitly designed to provoke violent emotions or target specific groups,” he said, citing Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026.
He also quoted the law as stating: “A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.”
According to him, the law also prohibits the use of “abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language, insinuations, innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions” during political campaigns.
Oketola said politicians cross the line into intimidation when they threaten voters, opponents or electoral officials with violence, physical harm, economic punishment or social exclusion because of their political choices.
He added that campaign statements capable of creating fear and discouraging people from voting, or preventing particular groups from participating in elections, could also constitute intimidation.
The INEC official said the commission was an election management body rather than a security agency, but noted that the Electoral Act assigned security agencies specific responsibilities during political rallies.
“Beyond inter-agency security coordination, INEC is statutorily empowered to monitor political campaigns and enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct for Political Parties. The Commission can issue formal queries and sanction non-compliant parties within its administrative limits,” he said.
On the penalties for offenders, Oketola said Section 96(7) of the Electoral Act provides for fines and imprisonment.
“Any candidate who commits these offences is liable upon conviction to a maximum fine of N5,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months,” he said.
He added: “A non-compliant political party is liable to a fine of N10,000,000 in the first instance, and N2,000,000 for each subsequent offence.”
