AfriPulse
FILE: Femi Falana
A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, wants the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to be stricter in regulating early campaigns, asking it to charge violators to court.
Falana spoke on Sunday, describing campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections as abnormal.
“The law cannot cover all situations. The lawmakers thought they were dealing with a civilized political class. No. Now that they are violating the law, it makes it a duty — empowered by the Constitution and the Electoral Act — to bring out rules and regulations.
“By the way, INEC is required to charge some of these guys before the court. Let them come to court and say, ‘Sorry, my Lord, there is no provision for punishment,’” Falana, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), said on Sunday Politics.
“If you fail to comply with the order of the court, you have committed contempt and you will go to jail,” he told the host, Seun Okinbaloye.
READ ALSO: [2027] INEC Decries ‘Premature’ Campaigns By Politicians, Parties
INEC Chairman Mahmood Yakubu
Last week, INEC decried premature campaigns by political parties ahead of the next elections.
The electoral umpire, however, said its hands are tied, which means it cannot prosecute offenders.
Citing Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which stipulates the 150-day campaign period, the chairman of the commission, Mahmood Yakubu, revealed that “there is no sanction whatsoever concerning breaches for campaigns earlier than 150 days to an election. Here lies the challenge for the Commission.”
However, Falana wants INEC to map out plans to counter the “illegality”.
“Section 95 empowers INEC to draft rules and regulations,” the revered legal luminary said on the show.
“The Constitution, Paragraph F, Part 1, of the Constitution says to monitor campaigns in line with rules and regulations prescribed by INEC. So, INEC has not brought out rules and regulations to stop this illegality.”
More than two years before the 2027 election, political parties are already mapping out strategies and campaigning for the exercise, prompting concerns over the breach of the law.
Falana believes the move has sidestepped governance, asking INEC to seek legal advice over the matter.
“It’s not done anywhere. So, governance is being thrown to the dogs,” he said.
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