The European Union has announced fresh funding to protect civic and political freedoms in Nigeria ahead of the 2027 general elections, targeting growing concerns over electoral violence, voter intimidation, and political repression.
Speaking at the 2026 Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders Forum in Abuja, EU Ambassador, Gautier Mignot, emphasized that the funding aims to empower domestic stakeholders rather than influence election outcomes:
“Our objective is not to interfere in the elections, but support legitimate Nigerian stakeholders to fully play their roles in order to contribute to a free, fair, and credible electoral process”.
Mignot warned that suppressing public assembly and media freedom directly threatens democratic integrity, urging state institutions to safeguard open dialogue without fear of censorship.
Echoing these concerns, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Executive Secretary, Anthony Ojukwu, highlighted ongoing harassment against journalists and civil society under laws like the Cybercrimes Act, while warning against persistent impunity:
“As long as people can commit these election-related offences and go scot-free, then anybody can try anything they like”.
Ojukwu revealed that the NHRC recorded 338,810 human rights violation complaints nationwide in September 2026 alone, alongside 208 killings and 210 kidnappings.
To combat election-period abuses, the commission will deploy monitors to key hotspots and operate its Human Rights Situation Room 24/7.
