The warning follows a rise in recorded incidents of politicians threatening voters, opponents, and residents who hold dissenting views, with two separate cases already documented on video in Kebbi and Osun states in recent weeks.
Adedayo Oketola, INEC’s Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the Chairman, confirmed the penalties on Sunday in a telephone interview, saying the commission was empowered to monitor campaigns and enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct for Political Parties.
Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2026, Oketola disclosed, prohibits campaign language likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal, or sectional sentiments or provoke violent reactions from any section of the public. The provision reflects longstanding concerns about how divisive rhetoric has historically fuelled electoral violence across Nigeria’s geopolitical zones.
Threats of physical harm, economic reprisals, or social ostracization designed to force or suppress voter support also qualify as electoral intimidation under the same provision, according to Oketola.
For individual candidates, Section 96(7) prescribes a maximum fine of ₦5 million or 12 months’ imprisonment upon conviction. Political parties face a ₦10 million fine for a first offense and ₦2 million for each subsequent breach. Oketola emphasized that these sanctions apply regardless of a party’s size or political standing.
“Beyond inter-agency security coordination,” Oketola said, “INEC is statutorily empowered to monitor political campaigns and enforce compliance with the Code of Conduct for Political Parties,” adding that the commission could issue queries and sanction non-compliant parties within its administrative powers.
One of the most recent cases involves Alhaji Atiku Ahmad Mandiya, Chairman of Gwandu Local Government Area in Kebbi State, who was filmed at a political gathering telling supporters to station members at every polling unit and confront anyone who criticized Governor Nasir Idris, popularly called Kaura.
“Anybody who comes to say anything against Kaura should be dealt with,” Mandiya said in the video. “I will bail the person out if arrested. ” The footage, which went viral, shows Mandiya speaking directly to a crowd of party supporters.
In Osun State, Senator Francis Fadahunsi, who represents the Osun East Senatorial District and is an APC chieftain, was captured in a separate video allegedly threatening members of the Accord Party ahead of a governorship election in the state.
Fadahunsi, according to the video obtained by SaharaReporters, told supporters in Ilesa to attack and kill Accord Party members seen in the area before the election. “Till the day of the election, if we see any Accord Party members, we’ll kill them,” he said in the recording.
He also warned traditional rulers and chiefs accused of backing the Accord Party, telling them they would face consequences if they continued to support the opposition party in the lead-up to the vote.
Oketola drew a distinction between heated partisan debate and conduct that crosses into criminality, saying campaign rhetoric becomes electoral intimidation when it involves coercion, hate speech, threats of violence, or language capable of provoking hostility beyond policy disagreement.
The INEC spokesperson, who spoke as the commission stepped up its pre-election monitoring, urged security agencies, the media, traditional rulers, and religious leaders to help curb inflammatory political rhetoric before it escalates further. He noted that community leaders in particular carry significant influence over local political behavior and bear a shared responsibility for maintaining a peaceful campaign environment.
“The Nigeria Police Force and other security agencies have a clear duty to prevent the breakdown of law and order during political campaigns,” Oketola said. He added that INEC, while not a security agency itself, would continue inter-agency coordination across the country.
The commission’s warning covers all 36 states and the FCT, with the 2027 general election campaign period now drawing increased scrutiny following the documented threats in Kebbi and Osun, both involving members and supporters of the ruling All Progressives Congress.
