Nigeria’s electoral body, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has reminded that Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibits the commencement of a campaign earlier than 150 days, that is, 5 months, before polling day and must end 24 hours before that day.
The INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, gave the reminder at a one-day roundtable on the challenges of premature and early political campaigns in Nigeria, held in Abuja.
The INEC Chairman stated that the idea is to prioritise governance over electioneering from one electoral cycle to another.
The keynote address was delivered by former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega. He described premature campaigns as a “serious threat to elections” that “undermine the integrity of the entire electoral process.”
Prof. Jega was particularly critical of the use of third-party… pic.twitter.com/ZcYooza14s
— INEC Nigeria (@inecnigeria) September 10, 2025
“However, political parties, candidates and their supporters seem to be perpetually in election mode 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,” he informed.
Quite correctly, the Chairman stated Nigerians expect INEC, as registrar and regulator of political parties, to act in the face of the brazen breach of the law on early campaigning; however, the major challenge for the Commission is the law itself. Section 94(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 imposes sanctions, albeit mild (a maximum amount of N500,000 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.
“In a sense, the problem of early campaigning in Nigeria is not new. The seeming inability of the Commission and other regulatory agencies to deal with the menace within the ambit of the existing electoral legal framework calls for deep reflection,” he emphasised.
Professor Yakubu noted that it was in this context that the Commission considered it appropriate to convene the meeting in which legislators, leaders of political parties, civil society organisations, experts, practitioners and regulators will brainstorm on the way forward.
“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,” the INEC Chairman stated.
Yakubu, however, reiterated the Commission’s strong belief that protecting the electoral process and consolidating democracy is a multi-stakeholder task.