National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Executive Secretary Anthony Okechukwu Ojukwu warned that failure to prosecute electoral offenders could threaten free and fair elections in 2027, Premium Times reported.
Section 148(2) of Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026 assigns prosecutions under the Act to legal officers of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) or legal practitioners appointed by the commission. The law does not establish the autonomous Electoral Offences Commission proposed by the 2008 Electoral Reform Committee. The current provision specifies who can prosecute offenses under the Act; the committee’s proposal also called for a body with investigative powers.
The committee, chaired by Justice Muhammadu Lawal Uwais, recommended a separate commission with authority to investigate and prosecute electoral offenses. It said difficulties bringing cases and securing convictions undermined confidence in elections. The panel was formed in 2007 and submitted its report in December 2008.
Premium Times reported that Ojukwu spoke Nov. 2 at NHRC headquarters in Abuja during a visit by a United Nations delegation. It was led by Leonardo Santos Simão, the U.N. secretary-general’s special representative for West Africa and the Sahel. The outlet said the meeting covered Nigeria’s preparations for the 2027 general elections.
The newspaper also said Ojukwu alleged electoral offenders were acting for “key politicians,” complicating efforts to hold those politicians accountable for their agents’ conduct. Premium Times’ account did not identify cases or provide evidence for the allegation.
NHRC had called for prompt investigations and prosecutions ahead of the 2027 elections in a Sept. 16 statement. It urged action against people who sponsor violence, vote-buying, voter suppression or attacks on democratic institutions. The commission said “impunity remains the greatest threat to democracy.”
Premium Times also reported that NHRC was preparing two advisories: one on the conduct of political actors and security personnel, and another on the government’s response to civic space. The report gave no planned publication dates for the advisories.
