The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a Democratic Freedoms Compact to safeguard fundamental human rights, protect civic space and strengthen public confidence ahead of the 2027 general election.
The proposed compact is designed to guarantee freedom of expression, association and political participation, promote inclusiveness, ensure electoral transparency and accountability, and prevent violence, intimidation and other human rights violations throughout the electoral process.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, unveiled the proposal in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by Dr Hassan Umar at the 2026 Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders Forum on the State of Human Rights in Abuja on Wednesday.
The forum, organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the European Union (EU), was themed, “Protecting Human Rights in Civic and Political Spaces in the 2027 Elections.”
Amupitan said the credibility of the 2027 elections would be determined not only by the conduct of voting and collation of results but also by the extent to which Nigerians could freely express their opinions, associate, campaign and participate in the political process without fear, discrimination or violence.
He warned that regular elections alone could not sustain democracy if citizens were denied the freedom to express dissenting views, organise, criticise government policies and hold public institutions accountable.
To address these concerns, the INEC chairman said the proposed compact would establish a framework for institutional conduct built around six critical commitments: protection of fundamental freedoms, inclusive participation, transparent elections, accountability for human rights violations, peaceful political competition and constructive engagement among stakeholders.
He called for stronger collaboration among INEC, the NHRC, security agencies, civil society organisations and the media to monitor, document and respond to violations before, during and after the elections.
Amupitan reaffirmed the commission’s commitment to conducting credible elections, ensuring equal treatment of political parties and candidates, strengthening transparency and promoting inclusive participation.
On the contentious issue of electronic transmission of election results, he maintained that the Electoral Act 2026 provided for electronic transmission, while INEC had developed guidelines to address possible technical and communication challenges.
He urged political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the commission’s guidelines and regulations to avoid misinterpretation of the procedures governing result transmission.
The INEC chairman also placed responsibility on security agencies to protect voters, candidates, election officials, observers and journalists, insisting that security personnel must operate professionally and impartially.
He said their presence at polling units and other electoral locations should reassure citizens and create a safe environment for participation rather than generate fear or intimidation.
Earlier, Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Chief Anthony Ojukwu, warned that Nigeria’s democratic space was facing mounting challenges that required urgent intervention as the country approached the 2027 general election.
Ojukwu identified political intimidation, arbitrary arrests, harassment of journalists and human rights defenders, hate speech, restrictions on civic participation and the exclusion of vulnerable groups as threats capable of undermining the credibility of the electoral process.
He said the commission convened the forum at a defining moment in Nigeria’s democratic journey, with the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, and governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections to follow on February 6.
According to him, the timing was particularly significant because political campaigns were already gathering momentum across the country, making the protection of civic and political freedoms increasingly urgent.
He stressed that democracy was not sustained by elections alone but by the freedom citizens enjoyed between elections to speak without fear, assemble peacefully, associate without obstruction and choose their leaders without intimidation.
Citing Sections 14, 39 and 40 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, Ojukwu said sovereignty belonged to the Nigerian people, while constitutional guarantees protected freedom of expression, association and peaceful assembly.
He also referenced the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, which guarantees citizens the right to participate freely in the governance of their country.
The NHRC boss expressed concern that civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders continued to operate in an increasingly difficult environment characterised by harassment, arbitrary arrests and the potential misuse of laws, including provisions of the Cybercrimes Act.
He further raised concerns over political and voter intimidation, exclusionary nomination fees that could prevent women, young people and persons with disabilities from contesting elections, hate speech, incitement and the apparent absence of accountability for electoral offences.
Ojukwu warned that failure to prosecute electoral offenders could encourage impunity and embolden perpetrators to undermine the electoral process.
He disclosed that the commission had established a comprehensive human rights monitoring architecture to track political developments and election-related violations as campaigns intensified.
The mechanisms include a Human Rights Situation Dashboard, a human rights advisory and an Election Situation Room designed to monitor intimidation, suppression of political participation, harassment of journalists and other oversight actors, as well as violations of fundamental freedoms.
He said the commission was finalising an advisory on protecting political space and the right to participation in Nigeria, describing it as a flagship contribution to strengthening human rights protection during the forthcoming elections.
The advisory follows earlier interventions by the commission, including its February 2025 advisory on the protection of freedom of expression, which raised concerns about the interpretation and possible misuse of the Cybercrimes Act.
Ojukwu also disclosed that the commission was documenting violations, preparing cases for investigation and engaging INEC, security agencies, the National Peace Committee and other relevant institutions to strengthen accountability.
He said the NHRC’s Election Situation Room would remain operational throughout the electoral period, while election-focused dashboards and bulletins would be published regularly to provide information on human rights developments.
The commission, he added, would deploy monitors to identified hotspots and establish legal aid partnerships to respond to violations during and after the elections.
He announced that the forum would be transformed into a structured platform for sustained engagement between the commission and civil society organisations, with quarterly meetings, early-warning information sharing and rapid-response mechanisms.
According to him, the arrangement would facilitate coordination between the NHRC’s Situation Room and the Civil Society Election Situation Room, strengthen protection for individuals targeted for exercising their rights and ensure that stakeholders are held accountable for their commitments.
He said the forum would also adopt an outcome statement containing recommendations and a roadmap to guide its activities before, during and after the 2027 elections.
Ojukwu urged civil society organisations and human rights defenders to take ownership of the proposed framework, stressing that they were not spectators in the electoral process but essential partners in defending democracy.
He also acknowledged legislative efforts to strengthen the commission’s mandate and improve the legal protection of human rights defenders, expressing optimism that the reforms would create a more enabling environment for their work.
The NHRC executive secretary maintained that election-related violations must attract consequences, warning that the absence of accountability would weaken public confidence and encourage further abuses.
He said: “When elections go without violence, it is because of the work done long before polling day. Work that is sometimes invisible to the public.”
He added that the protection of democracy required collective responsibility and sustained commitment from government institutions, political parties, security agencies, civil society and international partners.
Also speaking, the EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, reaffirmed the European Union’s commitment to supporting Nigeria’s democratic institutions and protecting civic and political freedoms ahead of the 2027 general election.
Mignot described the forum’s theme as timely, particularly against the backdrop of reports of election-related violence, hate speech, political intimidation and restrictions on citizens’ fundamental rights.
He warned that such incidents could erode public trust in state institutions and discourage citizens from participating in the electoral process.
The ambassador said free civic and political spaces, including independent media, peaceful assemblies, public forums and civil society organisations, were essential to ensuring credible, transparent and inclusive elections.
According to him, these spaces enable citizens to access information, debate public issues, scrutinise candidates and hold elected leaders and public institutions accountable without fear of censorship or retaliation.
He added that an open civic environment also allowed civil society organisations and active citizens to monitor election administration, track campaign promises and challenge government interference in the democratic process.
Mignot said weakening these safeguards could undermine citizens’ right to meaningful political participation and create opportunities for the suppression of opposition voices and manipulation of democratic rules.
He therefore urged all Nigerian stakeholders, including government institutions, political parties, civil society organisations and the media, to play their respective roles in ensuring a free, fair and credible electoral process.
The EU ambassador disclosed that the partnership with the NHRC had continued since 2024, when the first joint engagement provided a platform for human rights defenders to assess the state of human rights in Nigeria and develop collective responses to challenges confronting them.
He said the second engagement, held as part of activities marking the NHRC’s 30th anniversary, focused on reviewing the country’s human rights record over three decades and identifying emerging challenges requiring sustained intervention.
Mignot described the current forum as a continuation of the strategic partnership, adding that the EU was also preparing a new project with additional funding to deepen its collaboration with the commission.
He pledged that the EU delegation would carefully examine the recommendations and roadmap emerging from the forum and share them with its authorities and member states for further consideration.
He assured Nigeria that the EU and its member states would remain reliable partners in supporting democracy, good governance and the protection of human rights during what he described as a crucial period for the country’s democratic development.
In a goodwill message delivered on behalf of the Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Alhaji Yusuf Dantale, Prince Chinedu Obi urged political parties and their supporters to embrace issue-based campaigns, political tolerance and responsible communication.
IPAC cautioned against electoral violence, hate speech, voter suppression and political intimidation, stressing that political opponents must be regarded as competitors rather than enemies.
The council also advocated greater inclusion of women, young people and persons with disabilities in the electoral process, while urging security agencies and other relevant institutions to discharge their responsibilities with professionalism and impartiality.
Dantale said public confidence in the electoral system would ultimately depend on whether institutions could guarantee that votes counted and that Nigerians were able to exercise their democratic rights freely.
The forum brought together representatives of government institutions, diplomatic missions, political parties, civil society organisations, the media and human rights groups to assess the state of human rights in Nigeria and develop practical strategies for protecting civic and political freedoms ahead of the 2027 general election.
(vitalnewsngr.com)
