The UN has advised Nigerians to eschew hate speeches during the forthcoming election season to guard against electoral violence and related crimes.
UN Under-Secretary-General and Special Adviser of the Secretary-General on Prevention of Genocide, Ms. Alice Nderitu, offered the advice in Abuja on Friday when she briefed reporters in the course of her official visit to Nigeria.
Nderitu was speaking against the backdrop of the forthcoming 2023 general elections, beginning on Saturday, Feb. 24, 2023.
She said the country’s electoral process had since 1999 proven a commitment to democratic values.
The UN official, therefore, urged Nigerians to shun hate speeches before and after the elections, as anything contrary to that could result in violence and related crimes.
She further said, “The election season in Nigeria has witnessed a surge in the use of inflammatory language, hateful and divisive rhetoric; such hate speech is amplified at an unprecedented rate by digital technology.
“Hate speech, especially if accompanied by policies and practices that discriminate against the population based on their identity often results in hate crimes, discrimination, and violence”.
“It can be both a precursor and a trigger of atrocity crimes, in particular genocide, countering and addressing hate speech are crucial”, she added.
