Political campaigns should be centered on what candidates intend to do for the people rather than insults and personal attacks.
By Moses Okorie
Yiaga Africa has called on political parties to strengthen internal discipline and take decisive action against members, candidates and supporters involved in hate speech, cyberbullying and character assassination.
The Lagos State Focal Person of the organisation, Mr Michael Ogunshola, made the call in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) on Wednesday in Lagos.
Ogunshola said political parties had a responsibility to regulate the behavior of their members and supporters, particularly as political activities intensify ahead of elections.
He urged parties to develop and enforce clear codes of conduct outlining unacceptable forms of political communication and prescribing appropriate penalties for violations.
According to him, effective sanctions would discourage party members from using abusive, defamatory and inflammatory language during campaigns.
He said political parties should also clearly distinguish between legitimate political criticism and abusive rhetoric, while ensuring that campaign messages focus primarily on policies, programmed and solutions to the challenges confronting Nigerians.
“Political campaigns should be centered on what candidates intend to do for the people rather than insults and personal attacks,” he said.
Ogunshola warned that character assassination and inflammatory political rhetoric could have lasting consequences beyond election periods, potentially creating divisions and damaging relationships within communities.
He therefore recommended that party officials, candidates and supporters sign campaign guidelines and commit themselves to responsible conduct throughout the electoral process.
The Yiaga Africa representative also stressed the importance of equal accountability within political parties, saying political influence or public office should not shield anyone from sanctions for violating party rules.
He specifically urged parties to discipline prominent members, including lawmakers and other public officials, when they make inflammatory or defamatory statements.
“Political parties must be able to call their members to order, irrespective of their status. The rules should apply to everybody,” he said.
Ogunshola further advocated the suspension or expulsion of members who use hate speech to mobilise online attacks against political opponents.
He noted that social media had made it possible for provocative messages to spread rapidly, with online supporters and trolls often amplifying content capable of deepening political tensions.
He said political parties must accept responsibility for the conduct of their members and supporters online and should not allow harmful content to circulate without consequences.
Beyond internal party measures, Ogunshola called for stronger cooperation among political parties, security agencies, civil society organizations and other stakeholders to address hate speech, misinformation and cyberbullying.
He urged political actors to promote issue-based campaigns and encourage voters to assess candidates based on their competence, policies and development plans.
The Yiaga Africa official also called for greater political education within parties to help members and supporters understand responsible communication and the consequences of spreading harmful or inflammatory messages.
He maintained that the fight against hate speech should not be left solely to security agencies and regulatory bodies, stressing that political parties must lead the process through effective self-regulation.
Ogunshola said parties genuinely committed to democratic development must demonstrate that commitment through the conduct of their leaders, candidates and supporters.
Yiaga Africa is a civic organization focused on promoting democratic governance, human rights, civic participation and credible elections through activities including election observation, civic education and policy advocacy.