…Admits Lack of Powers to Sanction Premature Campaigns
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has recognised the new National Working Committee (NWC) of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), even as the Commission admitted that it lacks the legal authority to sanction political parties and politicians engaging in premature campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The recognition of the ADC’s new leadership was reflected in the list of political party executives published on INEC’s website, with former Senate President, David Mark, named as the national chairman.
In July, opposition politicians and some ADC leaders adopted the party as a coalition platform for the 2027 elections.
Prominent among them are former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar; Uche Secondus, former national chairman of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP); Nasir el-Rufai, former governor of Kaduna State; Peter Obi, Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate; Rotimi Amaechi, former minister of transportation; and Odigie Oyegun, former national chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC).
Mark, alongside Rauf Aregbesola, an ex-minister of interior, and Bolaji Abdullahi, a former minister of sports, had been appointed interim chairman, secretary, and spokesperson respectively. Other members were also appointed into various NWC positions.
On 2 July, Ralph Nwosu, the party’s founder, announced the resignation of the former NWC and endorsed the interim leadership headed by Mark. The party formally wrote to INEC later in July seeking recognition of the new leadership.
However, not all stakeholders welcomed the development. Nafiu Bala, a former ADC governorship candidate in Gombe, declared himself national chairman, while a group known as the Concerned State Chairmen of the party rejected the coalition arrangement, insisting that the “ADC is not for sale.”
Meanwhile, INEC has raised concerns over the activities of politicians and political parties engaging in campaigns well ahead of the official timetable for the 2027 elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, speaking in Abuja on Wednesday at a roundtable on “The Challenges of Premature Political Campaigns in Nigeria”, lamented that the Commission lacked the legal powers to sanction offenders.
He said: “Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibits the commencement of campaigns earlier than 150 days (i.e. five months) before polling day and must end 24 hours prior to that day. The idea 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 amounts of money that cannot be effectively monitored before the official commencement of campaigns.”
Yakubu noted that Nigerians expect INEC, as the registrar and regulator of political parties, to act in the face of such violations but said the challenge lay with the law.
He explained: “Section 94(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 imposes sanctions, albeit mild (a maximum amount of ₦500,000 on conviction), on any political party or a person acting on its behalf who engages 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.”
The INEC chairman warned that the absence of clear sanctions had emboldened politicians and their supporters to mount billboards, sponsor media adverts, and organise rallies long before the Commission releases its timetable, stressing that such practices undermine governance and frustrate INEC’s ability to track campaign spending.
Yakubu called for urgent reforms to strengthen the country’s electoral process, saying: “I am glad that the immediate past Chairman of INEC, Professor Attahiru Jega, is here to share his experience on the matter in a keynote address. Similarly, as the National Assembly is currently reviewing our electoral laws, the Commission has also invited the leadership of both the Senate and House of Representatives Committees on Electoral Matters.
“I am confident that they will give due consideration to actionable recommendations by experts, leaders of political parties, the President of the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) which regulates the broadcast media and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) which regulates advertisement, including outdoor advertising.”
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