The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Oyo State has threatened to wield the big stick against political parties and candidates engaged in hate speech and abusive campaigns, warning that convicted candidates risk a N5 million fine or 12 months’ imprisonment, while parties face a N10 million fine for a first offence.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) in the state, Professor Adeniran Tella, gave the warning on Thursday at the commission’s stakeholders’ meeting with political parties held at the INEC office in Agodi, Ibadan.
Professor Tella expressed concern over the rise in abusive, unguarded and inflammatory language during political campaigns, noting that the commission had the statutory responsibility to monitor campaigns and enforce compliance.
He said the commission would not hesitate to apply sanctions within the ambit of the law, stressing that campaigns should be issue-based and not anchored on personality, ethnic or religious matters.
“I urge you to abstain from all forms of hate speeches. The Commission has observed, with deep concern, a rise in abusive, intemperate and inflammatory languages during political campaigns.
“Let me be unequivocal: INEC has the statutory responsibility to monitor campaigns and enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct for Political Parties. While we are not a security agency, we shall not hesitate to apply sanctions within our administrative authority,” Tella stated.
He cited Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026, which prohibits campaign language capable of harming religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional sentiments or provoking violence.
“Please note that convicted candidates will face fines of up to N5 million or 12 months’ imprisonment, while political parties will face fines of N10 million for a first offense,” he warned.
Professor Tella added that the commission had established clear channels of communication for political parties, noting that all correspondence and inquiries must flow from the party’s national secretariat to the national headquarters of INEC in Abuja and to the Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state.
He promised a level playing field for all parties, assuring that INEC would remain impartial, transparent and accountable.
In their goodwill messages, representatives of the Nigeria Police Force, the Nigeria Immigration Service and the Department of State Services (DSS) advised political parties to shun violence, hate speech and intimidation.
Also speaking, a representative of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Mrs Olajumoke Odususi, appealed to parties to ensure that messages from the stakeholders’ meeting were passed down to their members at the grassroots.
The meeting was attended by civil society organisations, security agencies, political parties and religious bodies, among others.
