By Joy Odor, Abuja
Nigeria’s democracy is under siege from a dangerous surge in premature political campaigns, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, and former Chairman Prof. Attahiru Jega has warned, calling for urgent legal reforms and stiff sanctions before the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at a high-level stakeholders’ roundtable on “Premature Political Campaigns” in Abuja on Wednesday, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, lamented that politicians and their proxies have plunged the country into a “perpetual election mode” with rallies, media adverts, and billboards in clear violation of Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which permits campaigns only 150 days before polling.
However, Yakubu said political actors have ignored the law with impunity, rolling out media ads, rallies, and billboards for 2027 and upcoming off-cycle polls.
“Outdoor advertising, media campaigns and rallies are already happening nationwide in clear breach of the law. These activities make it impossible for INEC to effectively track campaign finance limits,” Yakubu said, warning that the absence of sanctions for early campaigns has emboldened violators.
Yakubu said the Commission convened the forum to rally lawmakers, political parties, civil society, regulators, and legal experts to address the legal loophole.
He expressed confidence that the National Assembly, currently reviewing the electoral law, would act on recommendations to strengthen compliance.
In his remark, the INEC Electoral Institute Board Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, described the trend as a growing abuse of cultural festivals, religious events, philanthropy, and social media platforms to mask early campaigning.
“This distortion raises the cost of political competition, distracts leaders from governance, and erodes public trust,” he cautioned.
He warned that the consequences of premature campaigns are far-reaching, distorting fairness in the electoral process, raising the cost of political competition, distracting elected officials from governance, and eroding public trust in the system.
Zuru specifically cited the surge of billboards, branded vehicles, skits, songs, and hashtags on social media as evidence of aspirants exploiting digital platforms to gain early advantage.
Delivering his keynote address, Prof Attahiru Jega issued a stark warning that the unchecked rise of early campaigns, driven largely by incumbents and third-party proxies, threatens the credibility of the 2027 polls.
He called for clear legal definitions of premature campaigning, vicarious liability for incumbents benefiting from proxy adverts, and stronger oversight of illicit campaign financing.
“The prevalence of early campaigns undermines governance, diverts public resources, fuels political rivalry, and breeds hate speech. Without stiff sanctions, the 2027 elections face serious credibility risks,” Jega warned.
He noted that campaign posters, billboards, and rallies for 2027 are already flooding the country, often disguised as third-party endorsements financed through dubious sources. Such practices, he warned, violated both campaign finance laws and the Electoral Act 2022.
Citing global examples from Mexico, the Philippines, and India, Jega stressed that effective sanctions remain the only antidote.
He called for: Clear legal definitions of premature campaigning.
Vicarious liability for incumbents benefiting from third-party campaigns.
Stronger oversight from EFCC and ICPC to track illicit campaign financing.
Urgent establishment of an Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal.
The roundtable, attended by political party leaders, the Nigerian Bar Association, NBC, ARCON, civil society, and media stakeholders, resolved that sanitizing Nigeria’s electoral space demands urgent amendments to the law, stronger enforcement, and sustained civic education.
Yakubu summed it up: “Protecting our electoral process and consolidating democracy is a multi-stakeholder task. We must stop this culture of lawless campaigns before it destroys public confidence in elections.”
