2019: INEC, Politicians And Campaigns

As the ominous political cloud hovers across the horizon, ahead of the 2019 general elections in the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), last week, cautioned political parties and politicians against violating the electoral law guiding electioneering campaigns.
Apparently reacting to recent developments in the polity, where some politicians have gone ahead of time to embark on campaigns for elective positions in the 2019 elections, the nation’s electoral umpire warned that it would not hesitate to invoke relevant sections of the electoral law against any political party and politicians who engage in subtle or overt campaigns before the constitutionally stipulated time.
Speaking during an interactive meeting with the media at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, the Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mammod Yakubu expressed worry over the antics of some politicians who have already started campaigns even when the time table for such activity is yet to be released.
“Let me state here that the release of time table does not imply the commencement of campaigns. I want to draw the attention of political parties and their candidates through the media that are already going around the country on campaigns that INEC, the only institution responsible for the release of time table for election has not done so and that anything anybody is doing about that is outside the law”. Prof. Yakubu warned.
Section 99 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended), states: “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day”. Anyone deemed to have violated this section of the law shall upon conviction be liable to a maximum fine of five hundred thousand naira (N500,000.00).
The Tide agrees no less with the position of the nation’s electoral body. The purpose of the law is to ensure decorum in the conduct of political activities in the country and any violation of that proviso quod is an express invitation to chaos. It is counter-productive and should, on no excuse be tolerated.
We hold that to allow any form of political campaigns for an election that is scheduled to hold in 2019 at this period when Nigerians are passing through severe economic hardship, would amount to illegal interference with the process of governance and is, therefore, condemnable.
Also, that Section 99 of the Electoral Act 2010 (as amended) had been flagrantly abused by politicians and no concrete action taken against the culprits is, in itself, worrisome.  It is, indeed, high time INEC became proactive in the handling of the electoral affairs of the nation.  The era in which the electorates are burdened with new promises when, even less than half of the promises made in the wake of the last elections are yet to be fulfilled, is no longer fashionable and should be discouraged.
We believe that the rejigging of the commission’s unit responsible for the monitoring of political jingles on the electronic media as well as the billboards erected at strategic locations, bearing the portraits of aspirants announcing or advertising their ambitions with a view to bringing those who violate the law to book, will serve as deterrent to others and build public confidence in our democratic process.
The Tide thinks that the section of the electoral law that seeks to guide electioneering campaigns should be reviewed and made more stringent to enthrone sanity in the process. The fine of N500,000 only, in our view, is not enough to deter politicians from violating the law.
Equally, political parties and their aspirants should be mindful of the fact that development of the principles of Nigeria’s democracy squarely rests on their shoulders. As such, we believe that failure of the political class to adhere strictly to the laws and principles of the electioneering process is capable of eroding the confidence of the electorates and negates democratic growth.
We, therefore, advise against further campaigns as such would only heat up the polity and distract political office holders from concentrating on the much-required business of governance to deliver the dividends of democracy to the people. There is time for everything and the time now is for more serious work to be done to salvage Nigerians from the clutches of hunger and depravation.