As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, a monitoring initiative by CEREDEMS-Africa, the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, and RUDN University has identified electoral trust, political hate speech, violence prevention, inclusive participation and misinformation as key issues requiring early attention.
The findings, drawn from the second and third weeks of the #TrackingNaija2027Elections monitoring initiative, highlight the link between institutional preparedness, political communication and citizens’ ability to participate confidently and peacefully in the electoral process.
The initiative noted that electoral confidence begins long before election day, stressing that citizens’ trust depends on transparent procedures, consistent application of electoral rules, institutional accountability and clear communication about the electoral process.
It further identified electoral justice as an important component of public confidence, particularly regarding the treatment of candidates and voters, enforcement of electoral laws and access to remedies when electoral rights are violated.
The monitoring also examined political hate speech and its connections with institutional challenges, exclusion, intimidation and political violence.
An analysis of 11 monitored hate-speech observations showed that institutional failure accounted for 45.45 per cent of identified thematic associations, while political exclusion and political violence each accounted for 18.18 per cent.
The initiative said the findings demonstrate the need to examine the political and institutional circumstances surrounding divisive narratives, rather than focusing only on the language used.
It urged political actors, media organisations and other influential stakeholders to promote responsible communication capable of supporting peaceful political participation and constructive public debate.
On electoral security, the monitoring initiative stressed that violence prevention should not be limited to election day security deployments.
It called for early identification of threats, stronger coordination among security agencies, community-level intelligence and engagement with political and non-political stakeholders.
The monitoring framework identified police readiness, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), early-warning mechanisms and engagement with influential community actors as areas requiring sustained attention.
Political parties and candidates were also urged to promote peaceful campaigns and discourage intimidation or violence among supporters.
According to the initiative, citizens should be able to attend political gatherings, express political opinions, register to vote and participate in elections without fear.
The report further highlighted the need for meaningful participation by young people and women, noting that political inclusion extends beyond voter registration and turnout.
The monitoring examined youth mobilisation, women’s political representation, candidate selection, party inclusion, gender-based harassment, gendered disinformation and other barriers to political participation.
It said meaningful participation should include opportunities to contest elections, contribute to political decisions, participate in party leadership and influence issues affecting communities.
Civil society organisations, it added, have important roles to play through voter education, election observation, advocacy, fact-checking and accountability initiatives.
The monitoring also identified information integrity as a broader concern beyond artificial intelligence-generated content.
According to the initiative, Nigerians obtain political information through newspapers, radio, television, social media, messaging platforms and interpersonal networks, creating both opportunities for information access and risks of misinformation.
It therefore stressed the need for citizens to verify political claims and rely on credible sources, particularly regarding voter registration, polling arrangements, candidates, political parties and electoral procedures.
The initiative said media organisations, fact-checking groups, civil society organisations and electoral institutions have complementary responsibilities in providing accurate, accessible and timely electoral information.
The wider monitoring aggregation recorded 984 stakeholder-related observations, with political commitments accounting for 28.15 per cent, while early-warning activities represented 22.05 per cent.
Community peacebuilding accounted for 3.15 per cent, while hate-speech prevention represented 1.82 per cent.
The initiative clarified that the figures represent the distribution of recorded monitoring observations across selected categories and do not directly measure the effectiveness of interventions.
However, it said the figures underscore the need to examine whether public commitments to peaceful elections are being translated into practical preventive measures.
The monitoring initiative called for accessible reporting mechanisms, timely responses to threats, community engagement, voter education and accountability for electoral misconduct.
The Weeks Two and Three findings emphasised the need for electoral institutions, political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations, media practitioners and citizens to address emerging electoral concerns before the formal campaign and election periods.
The #TrackingNaija2027Elections initiative called for clearer electoral communication, responsible political engagement, stronger early-warning mechanisms, inclusive participation and sustained public education.
It also encouraged citizens to verify political information, participate peacefully and report electoral concerns through appropriate channels.
The initiative said its monitoring will continue to document electoral developments, examine stakeholder responses and identify issues requiring public attention and preventive action ahead of the 2027 general elections.