By Joke Kujenya
WITH NIGERIA’s 2027 general elections drawing closer, questions over public trust in the electoral process, political hate speech, election-related violence and meaningful participation are moving to the centre of attention, as fresh monitoring findings expose areas requiring urgent scrutiny.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that findings from the second and third weeks of the #TrackingNaija2027Elections initiative, led by CEREDEMS-Africa, the Centre for Peace & Strategic Studies at the University of Ilorin (UNILORIN) and RUDN University, examine issues that could shape citizens’ electoral experiences, including confidence in electoral institutions and the circulation of misleading information.
Their monitoring identifies electoral preparedness, procedural fairness, institutional accountability and public communication as areas requiring sustained attention.
It also highlights electoral justice, including the treatment of candidates and voters, enforcement of electoral laws and access to remedies when electoral rights are violated.
The findings further stressed that citizens’ confidence in elections depends not only on the conduct of voting but also on whether electoral procedures are clearly communicated, rules are consistently applied and institutions can be held accountable for their decisions.
Political hate speech mostly featured prominently in the monitoring.
Also, an analysis of 11 monitored hate-speech observations found that institutional failure accounted for 45.45% of identified thematic associations.
Political exclusion and political violence each accounted for 18.18%, while intimidation and security threats each accounted for 9.09%.
The group’s monitoring links hate speech with wider political and institutional circumstances, highlighting concerns around exclusion, intimidation and violence.
It notes the importance of responsible communication by political actors, media organisations and other influential stakeholders as political competition develops.
Electoral security, the findings state, must extend beyond the deployment of security personnel on election day.
Early identification of threats, coordination among security agencies, community-level intelligence and engagement with political and non-political stakeholders are identified as areas requiring continued attention.
Credems-RUDN monitoring framework also focuses on police readiness, the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, early-warning mechanisms and engagement with influential community actors.
Political parties and candidates are also identified as having a responsibility to promote peaceful campaigns and discourage intimidation or violence among supporters.
Inclusive political participation remains another area of focus, with the project examining youth mobilisation, women’s political representation, candidate selection, party inclusion, gender-based harassment, gendered disinformation and barriers to political engagement.
The Credems-RUDN findings emphasise that participation extends beyond voter registration and turnout. It also includes opportunities to contest elections, contribute to political decisions, engage in party leadership and influence issues affecting communities.
Civil society organisations are identified as important actors in voter education, election observation, advocacy, factchecking and accountability initiatives, particularly in supporting meaningful participation by young people and women.
It also identifies information integrity as a broader challenge beyond artificial intelligence-generated content.
Electoral information reaches citizens through newspapers, radio, television, social media, messaging applications and interpersonal networks, but these channels can also circulate inaccurate claims about candidates, political parties, electoral institutions and voting procedures.
The initiative therefore highlights the importance of verifying information, identifying credible sources and improving public understanding of electoral processes.
Misleading information about voter registration, polling arrangements or electoral procedures, it notes, can create confusion and affect citizens’ ability to participate effectively.
Media organisations, fact-checking initiatives, civil society organisations and electoral institutions are identified as having complementary responsibilities in promoting accurate, accessible and timely electoral information.
The project’s wider monitoring aggregation recorded 984 stakeholder-related observations. Political commitments accounted for 28.15%, early-warning activities represented 22.05%, community peacebuilding accounted for 3.15%, while hate-speech prevention represented 1.82%.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that the project notes that the figures represent the distribution of recorded monitoring observations across selected categories rather than direct measurements of intervention effectiveness.
However, they affirmed the need to examine how commitments to peaceful elections translate into practical preventive action.
They noted that such action includes accessible reporting mechanisms, timely responses to threats, community engagement, voter education and accountability for electoral misconduct.
As monitoring continues, the group said #TrackingNaija2027Elections will document electoral developments, examine stakeholder responses and identify issues requiring public attention and preventive action.
They also said this initiative is actually calling for clear and accessible electoral communication, responsible political engagement, stronger early-warning mechanisms, inclusive participation and sustained public education ahead of 2027.
Credems-RUDN said citizens are encouraged to verify political information, participate peacefully and report electoral concerns through appropriate channels as electoral preparations continue.
—
Share Your Story with us!
Advertise with us!
Publicity for a product, service, or event!
Contact: WhatsApp Only: +2348039560647
Email: jkmediapress@gmail.com
