NHRC warns politicians, religious leaders against hate speech ahead of 2027 elections

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has warned politicians, spiritual and accepted leaders, the media and Nigerians against hatred speech, threats and divisive comments up of the 2027 wide elections.

The commission’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu, gave the informing astatine a property league successful Abuja connected Thursday.

Ojukwu said inflammatory statements could endanger quality rights, peaceful coexistence and antiauthoritarian participation.

He expressed interest implicit comments linked to immoderate nationalist figures, including Sheikh Sani Yahaya Jingir and Senator Francis Fadahunsi, saying specified remarks could deepen divisions and summation tensions.

The NHRC brag said state of look was a cardinal close but could not beryllium utilized arsenic a licence to promote unit oregon hatred.

“Freedom of look does not springiness anyone the licence to incite violence, beforehand hatred, dehumanise others oregon deliberately provoke hostility against individuals oregon communities,” helium said.

Ojukwu explained that the commission’s involution was not directed astatine immoderate governmental party, spiritual group, taste assemblage oregon individual. He said its purpose was to support quality dignity and enactment peaceful, credible and inclusive elections.

He warned that unchecked hatred code could pb to discrimination, inti...