Nigeria's electoral body is sounding the alarm over a phrase that has started circulating ahead of the country's next major vote. The Independent National Electoral Commission, known as INEC, has flagged the slogan "Rig and Die" as a direct threat to the safety of those involved in the 2027 general election.
INEC's concern centers on the dangerous tone the slogan sets for the electoral environment. Language like this, the commission warns, can inflame tensions and put election workers, voters, and officials at serious risk before a single ballot is cast.
With 2027 still on the horizon, the warning is an early signal that Nigeria's electoral authorities are watching the political temperature closely. How political actors and the public respond to this kind of rhetoric in the months ahead will say a lot about the kind of election Nigeria is preparing to have.
Originally published by BusinessDay.