The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), European Union (EU), and Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC) have called for urgent action to safeguard civic and political space ahead of the 2027 general elections.
They made this call on Wednesday at the opening of the 2026 Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders Forum, organized by the NHRC with support from the EU delegation to Nigeria.
The forum’s theme is “Protecting Human Rights in Civic and Political Spaces in the 2027 Election.”
Speaking, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, warned that Nigeria’s democracy could be undermined if citizens, journalists, civil society organizations, and human rights defenders cannot exercise their fundamental freedoms without intimidation or harassment.
He stated that the commission remains concerned about reports of hate speech, incitement, and alleged misuse of laws, including the Cybercrimes Act, to restrict legitimate civic engagement.
Ojukwu emphasized that human rights defenders and civil society organizations are essential partners in strengthening democratic accountability and should not be treated as adversaries by state institutions.
The Executive Secretary also reiterated the commission’s call for establishing a dedicated Electoral Offences Commission, in line with the recommendations of the Justice Mohammed Uwais Electoral Reform Committee.
“Let us be candid about the current electoral situation. The Independent National Electoral Commission has issued its revised timetable under the Electoral Act 2026.
However, civil society organizations, journalists, and human rights defenders continue to operate in challenging environments marked by harassment, arbitrary arrests, and misapplication of laws, including provisions of the Cybercrimes Act.
“We are concerned about political and voter intimidation, exclusion caused by prohibitive nomination fees that prevent women, youth, and persons with disabilities from running for office, the persistence of hate speech and incitement, and regulatory uncertainties regarding digital platforms.
“Above all, we are concerned by the impunity resulting from a lack of accountability for electoral crimes,” he said.
Similarly, the EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, said the union’s partnership with the NHRC, which began in 2024, had evolved into an important platform for assessing the human rights situation in Nigeria.
He added that the partnership aims to strengthen dialogue and develop collective responses to emerging challenges.
Mignot noted that free civic and political spaces, including independent media, public forums, peaceful assemblies and civil society organizations, were essential to ensuring transparent, credible and inclusive elections.
He warned that weakening these spaces could undermine citizens’ participation in elections and erode public confidence in democratic institutions.
Mignot reaffirmed the commitment of the European Union and its member states to support Nigeria’s democratic institutions and legitimate stakeholders, emphasizing that the partnership is not intended to interfere in the country’s electoral process.
“Our objective is not to interfere in the elections but to support legitimate Nigerian stakeholders to fully play their roles in order to contribute to a free, fair and credible electoral process,” he said.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alhaji Yusuf Dantale, called for stronger constitutional protection of fundamental freedoms and increased accountability for human rights violations and electoral offences.
He expressed concern about insecurity, killings, kidnappings, displacement of communities, and other abuses.
Dantale condemned intimidation, arbitrary detention, excessive use of force, and unlawful restrictions against citizens exercising their legitimate rights.
He also cautioned against misuse of cybercrime and cyberstalking laws to suppress legitimate public criticism and civic engagement.
Regarding the 2027 elections, he warned that hate speech, vote buying, and the activities of political thugs remain significant threats to Nigeria’s democratic development.
Dantale maintained that credible elections cannot be measured solely by events on polling day.
He insisted that the entire electoral process, from campaigns and voter mobilization to voting, collation, and declaration of results, must be peaceful and transparent.
