The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has admitted it lacks the legal powers to stop political parties, aspirants, and their supporters from launching premature campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, made the disclosure at a roundtable convened by the Commission with the theme, “Challenges of Premature Political Campaigns.”
He described the situation as a major weakness in Nigeria’s electoral framework, lamenting that the law ties the Commission’s hands.
Yakubu explained that while Section 94(1) of the 2022 Electoral Act prohibits campaigns earlier than 150 days before polling, it does not impose sanctions on violators.
He noted that the only sanction provided is a fine of N500,000 for campaigns within 24 hours to election day — a penalty he described as “mild.”
“Across the country, we have seen outdoor advertising, rallies, and media campaigns promoting aspirants even before INEC releases an official timetable. Yet, the law provides no punishment for such breaches,” he said.
The INEC boss warned that the unregulated flood of early campaigns undermines the Commission’s ability to monitor campaign finance.
According to him, politicians and third-party agents are already spending huge sums outside the official campaign window, making transparency impossible.
He admitted that Nigerians expect INEC to act decisively against what he called the “brazen breach of the law,” but stressed that the Commission is handicapped.
“Here lies the challenge — the law itself does not empower us to stop early campaigns,” he added.
Yakubu argued that the problem of premature campaigning is not new but has now reached an alarming level.
He said the inability of INEC and other regulators to deal with it within the current legal framework should worry all stakeholders.
It was on this basis, he explained, that the Commission convened the roundtable, drawing in lawmakers, political party leaders, civil society groups, and regulatory agencies such as the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA), the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC), and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
Yakubu said INEC is hopeful that as the National Assembly reviews the Electoral Act, lawmakers will give serious attention to actionable recommendations from experts and stakeholders on how to close the loopholes.
He stressed that safeguarding Nigeria’s electoral process is not INEC’s job alone.
“Protecting our democracy is a multi-stakeholder task,” he declared, urging all parties to back reforms that would strengthen the integrity of elections.
