As activities heat up towards the 2023 general elections, there’s need for the political parties/politicians to understand that INEC has not flagged off campaign because the time has not come.
Over the weekend, the Human Rights Writers Association of Nigeria (HURIWA) called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to caution politicians who are jumping the gun on 2023 presidential election and also campaigning for an election that is one year ahead.
It said that though campaign is the ultimate tool for getting to the electorate, that a candidate and his party should do so in accordance with the rules and regulations as may be determined by the Commission.
The Electoral Act has expressly provided the timeline for electoral campaigns. Section 99 (1) of the Act, which is on the limitation on political broadcast and campaign by political parties, provides” as follows, “for the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public, every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior the day.”
Subsection 2 provides that: “A registered political party which through any person acting on its behalf during the 24 hours before polling day (a) advertises on the facilities of any broadcasting undertaking; or (b) procures for publication or acquiesces in the publication of an advertisement in a Newspaper, for the purpose of promoting or opposing a particular candidate; is guilty of an offence under this Act and upon conviction shall be liable to a maximum fine of N500, 000.”
“Furthermore section 101 prohibits broadcast 24 hours preceding or a polling day. The section provides: “(1) A person, print or electronic medium that broadcasts, publishes, advertises or circulates any material for the purpose of promoting or opposing a particular political party or the election of a particular candidate over the radio, television, newspaper, magazine, handbills, or any print or election media whatsoever called during twenty four hours immediately preceding or on polling day is guilty of an offence under this Act. “(2) Where an offence under subsection (1) of this section is committed by a body corporate, every principal officer of that body is equally guilty of an offence under this Act.
We urge political parties/politicians to stay within the rules especially calling on their political hangers-on and supporters not to jeopardize their chances of victory by unnecessary politicking before the stipulated time. INEC should take not of those violating this order and have them sanctioned. This will bring order in the political environment.
