Candidates from all political parties have been warned by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) not to disregard the Electoral Act's rules regulating campaigning.
To avoid the penalties outlined in the Electoral Act, the commission urged parties to rigorously adhere to its requirements.
This occurs precisely one month before the start of the presidential and National Assembly election campaigns.
Remember that the commission set September 28 as the beginning date for the presidential and National Assembly campaigns and that the elections would take place on February 25, 2023.
Relying on Section 92 of the Electoral Act, 2022, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Committee on Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, explained to newsmen that the law expected political campaigns to be civil and devoid of abuse.
The commission also reminded the parties and their candidates that using masqueraders, public facilities, and religious centres for campaigns is prohibited and offenders could be liable to punishment, including imprisonment.
This is a departure from previous electioneering where some political parties usually deploy all kinds of theatrics, including masqueraders, to entertain the crowd at their rallies.
Some also go as far as clandestinely campaigning in public and religious centres like churches and mosques, all in a bid to woo worshippers and civil servants alike.
But quoting from the provisions of the section, Okoye said, “Section 92 of the Electoral Act makes it mandatory that a political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.
“Therefore, abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language, insinuations, or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.
“Subsection 3 states that places designated for religious worship, police stations and public offices shall not be used for political campaigns, rallies and processions; or to promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their programmes or ideologies.
“Masqueraders shall not be employed or used by any political party, aspirant or candidate during political campaigns or for any other political purpose.”
Possible imprisonment: Emphasising the need for compliance, Okoye noted that the Electoral Act already spelt out sanctions for violators and stressed that adherence to the law should be prioritised by all the parties and candidates.
What the law says: In tandem with subsections 7(a)(b) and 8, the INEC commissioner said, “A political party, aspirant or candidate who contravenes any of the provisions of Section 92 of the Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction in the case of an aspirant or candidate, to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months; and in the case of a political party, to a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance, and N1,000,000 for any subsequent offence.
“A person or group of persons who aids or abets a political party, an aspirant or a candidate in organising or equipping any person or group for the purpose of enabling them to be employed for the use or display of physical force commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of three years or both.”