The European Union (EU) has pledged fresh funding to strengthen human rights protection and safeguard Nigeria’s civic and political spaces ahead of the 2027 general elections, amid growing concerns over electoral violence, political intimidation, hate speech and restrictions on fundamental freedoms.
The EU Ambassador and Head of Delegation to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, disclosed this on Wednesday in Abuja at the 2026 Civil Society and Human Rights Defenders Forum on the State of Human Rights, organised by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) in collaboration with the EU.
Mignot said the EU was developing a new project, backed by additional funding, in partnership with the commission to strengthen human rights protection and promote democratic governance.
He said the initiative was particularly important as Nigeria approaches another election cycle, with threats to freedom of expression, peaceful assembly and political participation posing challenges to democratic development.
According to him, the EU’s intervention is not intended to interfere in Nigeria’s electoral process but to empower local institutions and stakeholders to contribute to credible elections.
“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,” he said.
Mignot warned that shrinking civic and political spaces could discourage citizens from participating in elections and undermine confidence in democratic institutions.
He stressed that independent media, peaceful assembly, open public discussions and active civil society organisations remained essential to ensuring that Nigerians could scrutinise political candidates, debate national issues and hold elected officials accountable without fear of intimidation or retaliation.
He urged government institutions, political parties, civil society groups and the media to work together to protect these fundamental freedoms.
The ambassador also pledged that the EU and its member states would study the outcome document and roadmap from the forum and communicate their recommendations to relevant authorities.
In his remarks, the Executive Secretary of the NHRC, Dr Anthony Ojukwu, SAN, raised concerns over the growing challenges confronting civil society organisations, journalists and human rights defenders, including harassment, arbitrary arrests and the alleged misuse of existing laws, particularly provisions of the Cybercrimes Act.
He identified voter intimidation, hate speech and the lack of accountability for electoral offences as major threats to credible elections.
Ojukwu also expressed concern that prohibitive political nomination fees could prevent women, young people and persons with disabilities from participating in the electoral process as candidates.
He warned that the failure to prosecute individuals responsible for electoral offences could encourage further violations.
“As long as people can commit these election-related offences and go scot-free, then anybody can try anything they like,” he said.
Providing an overview of the country’s human rights situation, Ojukwu disclosed that the commission’s September 2026 Human Rights Situation Dashboard recorded 338,810 complaints of human rights violations across its 38 offices nationwide, with the North-Central zone accounting for the highest number.
He added that the commission’s Human Rights Observatory documented 208 killings and 210 kidnappings during the period, alongside cases of deaths in custody and violence against children.
According to him, the commission had completed 2,458 investigations and conducted 113 monitoring visits to police stations, correctional centres and other detention facilities.
As part of measures to prevent election-related abuses in 2027, Ojukwu announced that the NHRC would operate a round-the-clock Human Rights and Election Situation Room throughout the election period.
He said the commission would also deploy human rights monitors to identified electoral hotspots and establish legal aid partnerships to ensure prompt responses to reported violations.
The forum, themed “Protecting Human Rights in Civic and Political Spaces in the 2027 Elections,” brought together stakeholders to examine threats to fundamental freedoms and develop strategies for protecting democratic participation ahead of the polls.
