The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for urgent legal reforms and stiffer penalties to deter politicians and political parties from engaging in premature campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made the call at a roundtable on the “Challenges of Premature Political Campaigns” organized by the Commission in Abuja.
Professor Yakubu decried the Commission’s lack of legal authority to sanction violators, despite clear provisions in the Electoral Act 2022.
Delivering the keynote address, former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, expressed concern over the trend, warning that unchecked early campaigns often driven by incumbents and financed through questionable means could undermine the credibility of the 2027 elections.
Also speaking, the representative of the Inspector General of Police, Commissioner of Police Sunday Shogunle, urged INEC to fully exercise its powers as outlined in the Electoral Act.
It is expected that the outcome of the roundtable which brought together stakeholders from the political, legal, security, media, and civil society sectors will inform ongoing constitutional and electoral law amendments, aimed at strengthening Nigeria’s democracy and improving the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
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