The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) chairman, Mahmood Yakubu, says the commission has no power to punish politicians for early campaigns ahead of the 2027 elections.
Speaking at a stakeholders’ roundtable in Abuja on Wednesday, Yakubu explained that while the Electoral Act 2022 forbids campaigns more than 150 days before voting, the law provides no real punishment for offenders.
“Nigerians expect us to act on the open violation of the law on early campaigns, but the problem is with the law itself,” he said.
According to him, the only fine stated in the Act is up to N500,000, and that only applies to campaigns within 24 hours of election day.
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Despite this, politicians and their supporters have continued to hold rallies, mount billboards, and flood the media with campaign messages.
“These actions affect how we track campaign spending limits,” Yakubu added.
He said the national assembly is already reviewing the law and expressed hope that lawmakers will act on INEC’s recommendations.
Abdullahi Zuru, another INEC commissioner, warned that premature campaigns are one of the biggest threats to Nigeria’s democracy.
He noted that aspirants now hide under cultural festivals, religious events, branded vehicles, billboards, and even social media influencers to promote themselves long before official campaign time.
“When aspirants struggle for visibility too early, it raises costs, distracts leaders from governance, and kills public trust in the system,” Zuru said.
He stressed the need to refine the law to clearly define what counts as premature campaigns, especially in the digital space.