2015: Sanction Early Campaigns

Ahead of 2015 elections, not a few
highly perceptible Nigerians, even,
casual political observers have observed that political elite interested in running for political offices, have already started canvassing for votes from the electorate.
Although those involved in the act have been insisting that they have not embarked on campaign of any sort. They say that the rallies they organise are merely sensitisation or unity rallies intended not to seek votes but to arouse the consciousness of the people, nay the electorate on the need to contribute to the process of nation building.
While the denial has been going on, both the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and the opposition All Progressives Congress (APC) have been throwing brickbats at one another over the issue of who is doing the right thing or the wrong thing as far as early campaigns are concerned.
Infact, the media are awash with commentaries on the issue of early campaigns by the major political parties. Hardly anybody passes without one analysis or the other on the issue. Even for the umpteenth time, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, has charged the major political parties of being guilty of premature campaigns.
As it is, the INEC Chairman ostensibly appears to be helpless in the circumstance as the political parties have remained adamant, no thanks to the many loopholes in the Electoral Act. It is probably for the lapses which the current Electoral Act that necessitated the current review of the Electoral Act.
Albeit, the Electoral Act is currently undergoing some amendment at the National Assembly, The Tide thinks that commencement of political campaigns before time should not be allowed to go unpunished, especially as the major political parties have avoidably heated up the polity avoidable and endangered the peace of the land.
Sadly enough, even before campaigns declared, politicians oblivious of the implications of their utterances on the polity, have mindlessly embarked on attack on persons instead of addressing issues. Rather than tell Nigerians their programmes, some are bent on raking up irrelevant issues that are endangering the peace and unity of the country. We believe this is a way never to play politics.
Much as we agree with the INEC boss that all the major parties are guilty of early campaigns in utter contravention of the spirit and provision of the Electoral Act, the law must be fully applied to show seriousness in this regard and deter further rascality over 2015.
Indeed, it has become imperative to take sterner measures as politicians may not mind engaging in acts that are capable of undermining national security or even taking Nigeria to the state of nature,  where might is right and where only the strong survives.
The Tide thinks that amendment to the Electoral Act should ensure that sanctions are made more punitive to deter parties. This is more because parties may not mind paying cheap fines after doing great harm to the country. Already, the huge spending and the demand for leave to spend more presupposes a do or die mentality.
Nevertheless, Nigerians must speak up now in favour of a genuinely independent and powerful electoral commission that the political parties would have respect for and not the other way round. Unless these loopholes are blocked 2015 may be a dream already aborted.