Yakubu, represented by the Acting Director, Voter Education and Publicity, spoke at the iVerify project launch organised by the international Press Centre in Abuja on Monday.The INEC boss noted that hate speech is a threat to social peace and poses significant danger to the electoral process with the potential to incite divisiveness, bigotry and erode the principle of democracy and equality.He said that some of the key dangers of hate speech to the electoral process include, but are not limited to:“Undermines democratic values. It undermines the core principles of democracy such as respect for human rights, equality and fair treatment to all individuals, using inflammatory languages to target individuals based on their race, religion, ethnicity, gender and other characteristics. Hate speech can perpetrate discrimination and exclusion, contradicting the fundamental value of democratic society.“Disrupts social cohesion. It can fuel social division and exaggerate tension within communities.
