ABUJA: Ahead of the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission INEC has cautioned political parties and politicians against engaging in early public campaigns.
According to INEC, these actions are a direct violation of the Electoral Act, as the official campaign period has not yet begun.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi clarified that the commission has not released the timetable or schedule of activities for the upcoming elections.
Consequently, party primaries have not been held, and no candidates have been officially nominated.
Key Legal Provisions
Oyekanmi highlighted specific sections of the Electoral Act 2022 that prohibit early campaigning. He said Section 94(1) states that public campaigns for an election can only begin 150 days before the polling day and must end 24 hours before the election.
According to him, Section 95(1) mandates that all campaign activities must comply with the rules and regulations set by INEC.
He said while citizens are free to engage in political discussions, openly campaigning or soliciting votes is illegal at this time.
“The commission has already addressed this issue with all political parties during its last quarterly consultative meeting and expects full compliance with the law”, he added.
