INEC warns politicians and parties against early 2027 election campaigns, stressing that no official timetable has been released. Premature endorsements and adverts are illegal under the Electoral Act
2027: INEC Warns Politicians Against Premature, Illegal Campaigns
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has issued a stern warning to political parties and aspirants across Nigeria, urging them to desist from early campaigning ahead of the 2027 general elections.
In a statement released on Monday by Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, the Commission emphasized that it has not yet released the official timetable or schedule of activities for the 2027 elections. Therefore, any current political campaigns are in clear violation of the Electoral Act.
“The Independent National Electoral Commission has not released the timetable and schedule of activities for the 2027 General Elections. As such, no political party has conducted primaries or nominated any candidate for the election,” the statement read.
INEC cited Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act, which states that campaigns can only officially begin 150 days before the election and must cease 24 hours before polling begins.
The electoral umpire further reminded political stakeholders of Section 95(1), which mandates that all campaign activities must strictly adhere to INEC’s rules and guidelines.
“Even though people have the right to express their political views, organised endorsements, mobilisation efforts, and campaign-style adverts aimed at promoting candidates before the official campaign period are not allowed,” the statement clarified.
INEC revealed that it had earlier addressed this concern during a meeting with political parties, where it cautioned stakeholders to strictly follow the laws governing the electoral process.
This warning follows the recent emergence of campaign-style posters and endorsements across several parts of the country, particularly in support of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s potential second-term bid.
Oyekanmi urged all political actors to show restraint and respect the electoral process, warning that premature campaign activities undermine the integrity of the electoral system.
“We call on politicians and their supporters to wait for the official timetable before engaging in any campaign activity,” he concluded. Read More
