The National Human Rights Commission announced on Sunday that it will summon Governor Yahaya Bello of Kogi State and Musiliu Akinsanya, also known as MC Oluomo and chairman of the Lagos State Parks Management Committee, over alleged inciting remarks made during the general elections.
According to reports, a day before the presidential and National Assembly elections on 25 February, Governor Bello ordered bulldozers to demarcate a road linking the Kogi Central Senatorial District. The opposition claimed this was a tactic to prevent Independent National Electoral Commission officials from delivering election materials to the stronghold of Peoples Democratic Party candidate Natasha Akpoti‑Uduaghan. Meanwhile, MC Oluomo allegedly warned Igbo residents in Lagos to stay indoors if they did not vote for Governor Babajide Sanwo‑Olu and the All Progressives Congress.
Speaking at the presentation of the NHRC’s preliminary report on the 2023 governorship and state assembly elections, the commission’s Executive Secretary, Tony Ojukwu (SAN), said both Bello and MC Oluomo would be invited for interrogation. “We are monitoring cyberspace to track hate speech and cyber‑bullying. Part of our information comes from online sources. We will invite MC Oluomo because his statement is worrisome,” Ojukwu said. He added that he had heard from the Lagos State Commissioner of Police, who confirmed an ongoing investigation, but emphasized that this would not impede the commission’s mandate. “We will also invite the Kogi State governor for questioning over what happened in Kogi State,” he affirmed.
Ojukwu explained that, as part of its mandate to promote and protect human rights, the commission deployed 600 officials to monitor polls across all 36 states for the governorship and House of Assembly elections. The preliminary report highlighted key findings from officials who observed more than 1,300 polling units nationwide. He noted that the pre‑election environment was fraught with tension, with reports of threats from various political parties and supporters. Ethnic division and hate speech were widespread in several states, including Lagos, Enugu, Kano, Kaduna and Rivers, prompting the NHRC to issue an advisory on hate speech rooted in ethnic and religious sentiments on 16 March 2023.
The advisory identified threats of violence against opposition supporters in Lagos, Enugu, Ebonyi and other states, citing the involvement of traditional institutions, schools and public servants. It outlined areas of concern for the commission and recommended steps for various agencies to address these issues before, during, and after the elections.
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