• Claims weak law shields defaulters
From Romanus Ugwu, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued fresh caution to political actors against early commencement of campaign ahead of the 2027 general election, but admitted that it is constrained by law from sanctioning politicians involved in the illegal act.
The commission’s Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, who expressed concerns particularly decried the commencement of campaign ahead of off-season governorship elections, FCT Area Council elections and the 2027 general elections.
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“Quite correctly, Nigerians expect INEC, as registrar and regulator of political parties, to act in the face of the brazen breach of the law on early campaign. However, the major challenge for the commission is the law itself,” Yakubu said.
The INEC boss said while section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibits campaigns earlier than 150 days before polling, the law provides no sanction for such breaches, hence political actors have ceaselessly violated it..
He specifically frowned at the incidences of aspirants using cultural festivals and religious gatherings to drop hints about their ambitions, explaining that they often disguised as appreciation or philanthropy.
In his remarks at the stakeholders roundtable on premature political campaign in Abuja yesterday, Yakubu said: “The idea of Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibiting the commencement of campaign earlier than 150 days is to prioritise governance over electioneering from one electoral cycle to another.
“However, political parties, candidates and their supporters seem to be perpetually in election mood even when the electoral commission is yet to release the timetable and schedule of activities for elections or ahead of the timeframe provided by law.
“Around the country, we have seen outdoor advertising, media campaigns and even rallies promoting various political parties and candidates.
“These actions and activities undermine the commission’s ability to track campaign finance limits as politicians, prospective candidates and third-party agents expend large amount of money that cannot be effectively monitored before the official commencement of campaigns.”
While revealing why its hands are tied, the commission’s boss said: “Quite correctly, Nigerians expect INEC, as registrar and regulator of political parties, to act in the face of the brazen breach of the law on early campaign.
“However, the major challenge for the commission is the law itself. Sections 94(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 imposes sanctions, albeit mild (a maximum amount of N500,000 on conviction), on any political party or a person acting on its behalf who engaged in campaigns 24 hours before polling day.
“However, there is no sanction whatsoever concerning breaches for campaigns earlier than 150 days to an election. Here lies the challenge for the commission in dealing with early campaigns by political parties, prospective candidates and their supporters.
“In a sense, the problem of early campaigns in Nigeria is not new. The seeming inability of the commission and other regulatory agencies to deal with the menace within the ambit of the existing electoral legal framework calls for deep reflection.
“It is in this context that the commission considered it appropriate to convene this meeting in which legislators, leaders of political parties, civil society organisations, experts, practitioners and regulators will brainstorm on the way forward,” he said.
INEC national commissioner and Chairman Board of the Electoral Institute (BEI), Abdullahi Abdul Zuru, said early campaigns are one of the most worrying challenges of Nigeria’s democracy.
He said aspirants often use cultural festivals, religious events, billboards, branded vehicles and even social media influencers as fronts for premature campaigns.
“When aspirants or parties compete to dominate visibility long before the official campaign period, it distorts fairness and raises the cost of political competition,” Zuru said.
He added that the trend distracts elected officials from governance, erodes public confidence in the electoral system, and fuels cynicism about the rule of law.
“We must refine the regulatory framework so that what constitutes premature or early campaigning is more clearly defined in today’s digital age,” he added.
In his presentation titled: “Towards addressing the challenges of premature election campaigns in Nigeria, former INEC Chairman, Attahiru Jega, said premature campaigning has regrettably remained inadequately regulated and become increasingly widespread.
“Although the Nigerian electoral legal framework contains some provisions regulating election campaigns, as it provides for the period of commencement and end of campaigns, regrettably, premature campaigning has remained inadequately regulated and has become increasingly widespread.
“It has been characterized mainly by the display of posters featuring politicians, across political parties, but especially of incumbents, at both federal and state levels, literally ‘jumping the gun’, some two years before the official election/campaign period.
“Many, if not most of these, are what can be termed as ‘third-party’ campaigns, ostensibly carried out by candidates’ support groups, with dubious financing, most likely in crass violation of campaign financing legislations.
“Premature campaigns consist of, not only erection of billboards with candidates portraits and messages soliciting votes and/or endorsements; but they also include, using public media and resources to advertise records of ‘achievements’ of incumbents, or use of official positions and commissioning of projects for electioneering purposes,” he argued.
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