INEC Raises Alarm Over Premature Campaigns, Calls for Legal Reforms Ahead of 2027 Elections
By Onwe Wisdom| Pan Afric Reporters Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has expressed deep concern over the rising trend of premature political campaigns in Nigeria, warning that unchecked activities could undermine governance, distort fair competition, and erode public trust in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The alarm according to a report contained in the commission’s news bulletin e-signed by the Editor in Chief Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi and two others was raised at a one-day Stakeholders’ Roundtable on the Challenges of Premature/Early Political Campaigns, organized by INEC at The Electoral Institute in Abuja on Wednesday.
Declaring the forum open, INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, lamented what he described as the “perpetual election mode” of political parties, candidates, and their supporters. He noted that many actors now engage in advertising, rallies, and media publicity long before the official timetable is released.
Yakubu cited Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which allows campaigns only within 150 days before polling and requires them to end 24 hours before voting. However, he regretted that the law prescribes only mild penalties of up to N500,000 for campaigns within 24 hours of election day, while remaining silent on campaigns staged earlier than the 150-day threshold.
“This legal lacuna makes it difficult for the Commission to sanction breaches,” Yakubu said. “Yet the consequences are enormous. They affect campaign finance monitoring, give unfair advantage to violators, and weaken respect for the law.”
In his remarks, Chairman of The Electoral Institute, Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, described early campaigns as “a creeping danger” to Nigeria’s democracy. He warned that cultural festivals, religious gatherings, philanthropy, and social media platforms are increasingly being exploited to push veiled campaign messages, thereby inflating election costs and distracting office holders from governance.
Former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, who delivered the keynote address, argued that premature campaigns not only confer undue advantage but also normalize illegality. He pointed to global examples where stiff sanctions are imposed, urging Nigerian lawmakers to emulate such practices.
Jega recommended that the Electoral Act be amended to:
Clearly define premature campaign offences with strict penalties, hold candidates and parties liable for third-party campaigns, empower anti-graft agencies to track financing of premature activities, include such expenses in official campaign finance audits, establish an Electoral Offences Commission and Tribunal before 2027.
“These reforms are urgent,” Jega said. “If premature campaigns are not checked, they will heat up the polity, escalate costs, promote hate speech, and fuel ethno-religious tensions as we move towards 2027.”
The event also featured goodwill messages from the House of Representatives Committee on Electoral Matters, the Nigeria Police Force, the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON).
Panel discussions underscored the need for stronger legal frameworks, proactive civic education, and greater collaboration among regulators, civil society, and the media to curb the trend.
