Law prevents sanctions on early campaigns says INEC Chairman

The Independent National Electoral Commission says it cannot sanction politicians who have started campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election because the law provides no penalty.

Chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, told a stakeholders’ roundtable in Abuja that section 94 of the Electoral Act 2022 prohibits campaigns more than 150 days before polling but sets no sanctions for violations.

Also Read: Labour Party Has No Ground To Call For Yakubu’s Sack — INEC

Yakubu said politicians are already holding rallies, mounting billboards and running media adverts, which undermine the monitoring of campaign finance. He added that lawmakers, party leaders, civil society groups and regulators were invited to the forum to discuss possible reforms.

INEC national commissioner Abdullahi Zuru said early campaigns distort fairness, increase costs, and distract elected officials from governance. He called for a clearer definition of premature campaigning in Nigeria’s digital age.