Former Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Commissioner Festus Okoye has condemned the “rig and die” slogan gaining traction ahead of the 2027 elections, saying alleged electoral offenses should be handled by security agencies rather than through threats or mob action.
Okoye, a former National Commissioner representing the South East and former Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, said no individual is permitted to use force or violence against another person over suspected election-related misconduct.
He made the remarks on national television on Tuesday evening.
“If you believe that anybody has committed an offence during an election period or during an election, your responsibility is to report the person to the lawful security agencies,” Okoye said.
“Self-help is not permitted in a democratic system,” he also said.
The phrase has drawn growing attention as political parties and candidates prepare for the 2027 general elections.
It is widely understood as a warning against manipulating results or undermining voters’ choices.
Former Deputy Senate President Ovie Omo-Agege revived national attention on the slogan in October, when he told a campaign gathering in Delta State that anyone who rigged the election would be killed.
He said, “It is rig and die,” and added that there would be “no court this time.”
Omo-Agege later said the remark was directed at people who falsify results or steal electoral materials, not ordinary voters.
His aides described it as a warning against electoral fraud rather than an incitement to violence.
Okoye said Section 132 of the Electoral Act doesn’t authorize private citizens to punish suspected offenders.
He argued that reporting allegations to lawful authorities is the appropriate democratic response.
His intervention comes amid concerns over electoral integrity, political intimidation and the risk of violence as campaigning intensifies.
INEC has also warned that the rhetoric could expose innocent Nigerians to electoral violence.
Former entertainer Charly Boy used the expression in August 2025 while warning politicians against electoral manipulation, helping popularize the phrase before Omo-Agege’s more recent comments.
