2027: Punish Politicians Violating Campaign Rules Now, Jega Tells INEC Diaspora Remittances Next Year

A erstwhile president of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Attahiru Jega, has said that politicians violating run rules should beryllium punished.

According to Jega, the prevalence of premature campaigns raised superior challenges to the preparations and behaviour of the 2027 elections and that they indispensable beryllium promptly stopped.

Jega asserted that the abnormality is being perpetrated rather brazenly, particularly by incumbent elected officials astatine each levels of government, and called for punitive actions against the culprits.

The erstwhile electoral brag made this remark successful a keynote presumption during an INEC Roundtable connected ‘The Challenges of Premature Campaigns’  held astatine the Electoral Institute successful Abuja connected Wednesday.

Jega suggested effectual sanctions arsenic the solution for predetermination run challenges, particularly premature campaigns.

He said premature predetermination campaigns were undesirable aberrations successful antiauthoritarian elections, and airs superior challenges to their integrity.

The student said that if not appropriately checked, the aberrations airs 1 of the astir superior threats to elections and could undermine the integrity of the full electoral process.

Jega said, “Premature predetermination campaigns are fundamentally campaigns done extracurricular the legally defined period. They make an uneven playing field; disrespect and interruption the law; confer unfair advantages to parties/candidates who jumped the gun; breed/entrench a civilization of lawlessness and impunity; make governmental tensions; and whitethorn adjacent make tensions and conflicts and undermine instrumentality and order.

“To support the integrity of the electoral process, astir electoral systems necessitate campaigns to beryllium conducted according to the rules and regulations provided successful the electoral ineligible framework; with owed respect to the calendar of the elections; respecting the close and state of different parties to organise and run and scope retired to the voters; respecting the predetermination managers and not interfering with the show of their duties,” Jega said.

Jega said the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended) is comparatively soundless connected the contented of predetermination campaigns and related matters but connected monitoring of governmental parties,

The erstwhile INEC brag said the Electoral Act provided a circumstantial timeline for the commencement of campaigns. Any premature campaigning violates this provision, undermining the commission’s authorization and the regularisation of law.

He quoted Section 94(1) 83(2) of the Electoral Act (2022) which stated the play of campaigning successful nationalist by each governmental enactment shall commence 150 days earlier polling time and extremity 24 hours earlier that day, portion Section 95(1) states that ‘a campaigner and his oregon her enactment shall run for the elections successful accordance with specified rules and regulations arsenic whitethorn beryllium determined by the Commission.

Why we can’t authorisation offenders – INEC

However, the electoral umpire, INEC, has said that portion Nigerians expected it arsenic the registrar and regulator of governmental parties to enactment successful the look of politicians and their ft soldiers’ brazen breaches of the instrumentality during aboriginal campaigns, the committee was legally constrained to enactment against violators.

The president of INEC, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, disclosed this astatine a stakeholders roundtable connected ‘The Challenges of Premature Political Campaigns’ successful Abuja connected Wednesday.

He said that portion Section 94(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 imposes sanctions, albeit mild (a maximum magnitude of N500,000 connected conviction), connected immoderate governmental enactment oregon a idiosyncratic acting connected its behalf who engages successful campaigns 24 hours earlier polling day, determination is nary authorisation whatsoever concerning breaches for campaigns earlier than 150 days to an election.

 INEC Recognises David Mark-led ADC

Meanwhile, INEC has officially recognised Senator David Mark and Rauf Aregbesola arsenic nationalist president and nationalist caput of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), respectively.

INEC gave this affirmation successful a Wednesday announcement posted connected the commission’s societal media handle.

According to the notice, the committee recognised Dr Ibrahim Mani arsenic the party’s nationalist treasurer, Akibu Dalhatu arsenic its nationalist fiscal secretary, and Professor Oserheimen Aigberaodion Osunbor arsenic its nationalist ineligible adviser.

This has enactment to remainder the party’s enactment tussle that broke retired aft Ralph Nwosu, the contiguous past nationalist chairman, resigned and Mark emerged arsenic the ADC helmsman.

Also, Peter Obi, the Labour Party (LP) statesmanlike campaigner successful the 2023 election, confirmed helium volition contention the 2027 statesmanlike predetermination and promised to service a azygous four-year word if elected.

Similarly, Chibuike Amaechi, a erstwhile Minister of Transportation, has declared his volition to vie for...