The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it cannot sanction politicians and their supporters who breach Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which prohibits the commencement of campaign earlier than 150 days, because there is no sanction for such an offence in the Electoral Act.
The INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, at a roundtable on the Challenges of Premature Political Campaign in Abuja on Wednesday, said while Sections 94(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 imposes 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, “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.”
Prof. Yakubu stated that the idea to prohibit early campaign is to prioritise governance over electioneering from one electoral cycle to another.
He, however, regretted that political parties, candidates and their supporters seem to be perpetually in election mood even when INEC is yet to release the timetable and schedule of activities for elections or ahead of the timeframe provided by law.
Prof. Yakubu also stated that INEC could not track campaign finance limits required by law, as politicians, prospective candidates and third-party agents expend large amounts of money that could not be effectively monitored before the official commencement of campaigns.
According to him, “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 finance limits….”
The INEC Chairman however, noted that the problem of early campaign in Nigeria is not new, and said since INEC and other regulatory agencies were unable to deal with the menace within the ambit of the existing electoral legal framework, necessitated the roundtable, for legislators, leaders of political parties, civil society organisations, experts, practitioners and regulators, to brainstorm on the way forward.
