As the election moment moves closer within the Nigerian polity, it is not out of place to begin to see hate speech and election violence beginning to become the norm. This change continues till after the election is over and the result is announced.
In a nation as diverse as Nigeria, very usually, politicians and other public figures appeal to base instinct and make egoistic and tribalistic statements to bring in the vote for their preferred candidate.
Hate speech, an abusive or threatening speech or writing that expresses prejudice against a particular group, especially based on race, religion, or sexual orientation is usually resorted to by many politicians in their campaign messaging and activities.
While it is a punishable offense to incite hate Speech and violence under any guise, the practice continues to remain a mainstay in the Nigerian political space.
Section 95 of the Nigerian constitution, states;
Subsection 1, “no political campaign, slogan shall be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly, likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feeling.”
Subsection 2 “Abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendos designed or likely to provoke violent reactions or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.”
Subsection 3 “Places designated for religious worship, police stations, and public places shall not be used for political campaigns, rallies, and processions or to promote, propagate or attack properties, candidates or their programs or ideologies.”
The issue, like with several other punishable offenses in Nigeria is its enforcement. How do we end hate speech and electoral violence in Nigeria?
Education
The education of both the politicians and voters is key to eradicating electoral violence and hate speech. If more people understood what hate speech is, its composition and how it can incite violence, the rate of reporting hate speech will be increased. This will help curb the spread of the menace of election violence.
Enforcement
The laws and legislation of the country are already in place to prosecute offenders and transgressors of hate speech and perpetrators of election violence. Where the issue lies is enforcement. The prosecution of high-profile offenders will do a lot in helping to stem the tide of election violence and hate speech. If we intend to nip election violence and hate speech at its bud, there must an intentional approach to our law enforcement.
We can end electoral violence and hate speech in our elections and beyond. It’s on us.
The Community Initiatives to Promote Peace project, CIPP, is a USAID-funded project that aims to promote peaceful coexistence and collaboration in Nigeria by mitigating violent conflict in at-risk communities in Nigeria. The social media campaign component of the project is all about enlightening Nigerians on the dangers of spreading fake news, rumors, and hate speech on social media, as it contributes to the violent conflict and insecurity that affects us all. The social media campaign is currently in its second season, and this year, we are solely focused on promoting positive election behaviors ahead of the 2023 general elections.