Clamp Down on Premature Campaigns, Jega Tells INEC, NASS

Clamp Down on Premature Campaigns, Jega Tells INEC, NASS

JOEL OLADELE, Abuja

Former Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has called for tougher penalties against politicians and parties guilty of premature campaigns, warning that early electioneering poses one of the gravest threats to Nigeria’s electoral integrity ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Delivering the keynote address yesterday at an INEC roundtable on “The Challenges of Premature Campaigns” held at The Electoral Institute, Abuja, Jega lamented that weak and vague sanctions in Nigeria’s legal framework have emboldened politicians to jump the gun with impunity.

“Premature campaigns are undesirable aberrations in democratic elections. If not appropriately checked, they undermine the integrity of the entire electoral process.

“Currently in Nigeria, the prevalence of premature campaigns raises serious challenges to the preparations and conduct of the 2027 elections, and therefore need to be sanitized urgently,” Jega declared.

The former INEC boss stressed that early campaigning by incumbents and their proxies has created an uneven playing field, distorted political competition, and entrenched a culture of lawlessness.

He cited widespread instances of politicians using billboards, posters, government projects, and media advertisements long before the official campaign window, often under the guise of third-party support groups.

“Incumbent office holders and their political parties must be vicariously held responsible and penalized for premature campaigns carried out by third parties on their behalf,” he said.

He added that regulatory bodies such as the EFCC and ICPC should investigate suspicious campaign financing.

Jega urged the National Assembly (NASS) to urgently address the loopholes in the Electoral Act, clearly define premature campaigns, and provide stiff penalties ranging from fines to imprisonment. He also renewed the call for the establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal to strengthen enforcement.

“Effective sanctioning is the panacea for addressing the challenges of all election campaigns, especially premature campaigns. Without robust deterrence, the integrity of our democracy will continue to be eroded,” Jega noted.

Earlier in his opening remarks, the current INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, admitted that the Commission faces a major challenge in curbing early campaigns because the law prescribes no sanctions for breaches before the 150-day legal window for campaigns.

“Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibits campaigns earlier than 150 days before polling day and ending 24 hours to the election. But while the law provides mild sanctions for campaigns 24 hours to polling, there is no sanction whatsoever concerning breaches before the 150-day window,” Yakubu explained.

The INEC Chairman lamented that the absence of penalties has emboldened political actors to flood the public space with rallies, billboards, and media adverts ahead of schedule, undermining the Commission’s ability to track campaign financing.

“Political parties, candidates and their supporters seem to be perpetually in election mood, even before the Commission releases the timetable for elections. These actions not only violate the law but also distort governance and accountability,” he said.

Yakubu said INEC convened the roundtable to allow legislators, regulators, civil society groups, and political leaders to brainstorm on reforms.

“Protecting our electoral process and consolidating our democracy is a multi-stakeholder task,” he stressed.

The roundtable was attended by lawmakers, political party leaders, civil society organisations, and regulatory agencies including the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).

With Nigeria edging closer to the 2027 elections, Jega’s warning and Yakubu’s admission place urgent pressure on the National Assembly to tighten the laws and empower regulators to curb the menace of premature campaigns.