By Saminu Ibrahim
The Executive Secretary of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Chief Tony Ojukwu (SAN) on Monday revealed that the commission has deployed several monitoring mechanisms, including a Human Rights Dashboard, Human Rights Observatory and Election Situation Room, to monitor political developments, identify human rights violations and promote a level playing field for political parties ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to Ojukwu the platforms were designed to track developments across the country, identify potential threats to democratic freedoms and ensure that issues capable of undermining free, fair and credible elections were brought to the attention of relevant authorities for prompt intervention.
The human rights boss, spoke when he played host to a delegation of the United Nations Ofice for West Africa and the Sahel (UNOWAS), led by Mr. Leonardo Santos Simao, Special Representative of the United Nations Secretary-General for West Africa and the Sahel
(SRSG) and Head of UNOWAS.
The Executive Secretary of NHRC disclosed that its Human Rights Dashboard, which has been published monthly for the past two years, provides information on human rights situations across the states, drawing from complaints lodged with the commission and reports received from various sources.
He said “We also operates a Human Rights Observatory to monitor protests and other human rights violations, particularly incidents capable of undermining democratic freedoms”.
Giving examples of reported violations, he said the commission had received complaints that opposition political parties were being prevented from displaying campaign materials in some states unless they paid exorbitant advertising fees.
According to him, the charges were sometimes so high that even ruling parties would find them difficult to afford, raising concerns about unequal treatment of political parties.
It stressed the need for relevant authorities to address such practices, warning that they could undermine efforts to create an environment conducive to free, fair and credible elections.
He further disclosed that its Election Situation Room was already operational and monitoring hate speech and other inflammatory statements capable of triggering political and religious violence.
It recalled previous incidents involving a senator who reportedly called for the killing of members of another political party for refusing to support the government, noting that it had called for the senator to be invited by the police and prosecuted for hate speech.
It also condemned inflammatory comments by a religious leader that could create divisions among religious groups, as well as an alleged threat by a local government chairman in the Abuja area against people who did not belong to his political party.
The commission said such incidents were closely monitored, adding that it routinely issued public statements to condemn developments capable of threatening peaceful democratic participation.
It further disclosed that the Election Situation Room receives reports from different parts of the country, while members of the public can report incidents through its toll-free telephone line, 6472.
He maintained that the monitoring mechanisms would enable it to identify emerging threats, alert relevant authorities and ensure timely intervention before such developments escalate into serious electoral challenges.
It however reaffirmed its commitment to promoting peaceful elections, protecting democratic freedoms and ensuring that the forthcoming electoral process is free, fair, credible and devoid of violence.
Earlier, Simao called for collective efforts to ensure peaceful, credible and violence-free elections in Nigeria, stressing the need to protect citizens’ rights and prevent electoral violence.
Ahead of the forthcoming January elections, he said the mission was aimed at assessing the country’s preparedness and identifying measures to safeguard peace and stability during the electoral process.
He noted that elections were often challenging periods for countries, saying political parties and candidates compete for power, declaring that such competition must be conducted within the confines of the law and respect for human life.
According to him, preventing violence is particularly important in the region, where terrorism, organised crime and other security challenges continue to threaten peace and stability.
He explained that the visit would provide an opportunity to engage relevant institutions, stakeholders and other key actors to understand their level of preparedness, identify potential concerns and examine measures being adopted to ensure peaceful elections.
The UN representative emphasised that violence-free elections do not happen by chance, noting that considerable efforts and preventive measures are often undertaken behind the scenes to avert crises.
“Sometimes, the work is not visible to the general public, but it is important that it is done to prevent negative developments from affecting our society,” he said.
He reaffirmed the United Nations’ commitment to supporting Nigeria, an important member of the global body, in achieving peaceful elections through appropriate assistance and cooperation.
He said the ultimate objective was to ensure that the elections were conducted in a calm and peaceful atmosphere, where citizens could freely exercise their democratic rights.
Simao further stressed that electoral rights extended beyond voting to include the right of eligible citizens to contest elections and be elected into public office.
He urged relevant institutions to uphold these rights, noting that they had a critical responsibility to ensure that citizens’ rights were protected throughout the electoral process.
