Politics
2027: Jega Condemns Premature Campaigns, Blames Elected Officials
Prof. Jega submitted on Wednesday in his keynote presentation during the INEC’s Roundtable on ‘The Challenges of Premature Campaigns’ held in Abuja.
Prof. Jega who placed the blame of premature campaigns at the doorsteps of incumbent elected officials, maintained that it remained a serious aberration to the electoral process.
He said: “Premature election campaigns are basically campaigns done outside the legally defined period. They create an uneven playing field; disrespect and violate the law; they confer unfair advantages to parties/candidates who jumped the gun; they breed/entrench a culture of lawlessness and impunity; and they create political tensions; and they may even generate tensions and conflicts and undermine law and order.
“To protect the integrity of the electoral process, most electoral systems require campaigns to be conducted according to the rules and regulations provided in the electoral legal framework; with due respect to the calendar of the elections; respecting the right and freedom of other parties to organize and campaign and reach out to the voters; respecting the election managers and not interfering with the performance of their duties.
“Although the Nigerian electoral legal framework contains some provisions regulating election campaigns, as it provides for period of commencement and end of campaigns, regrettably, premature campaigning has remained inadequately regulated and has become increasingly widespread, characterised mainly by the display of posters featuring politicians, across political parties, but especially of incumbents, at both federal and state levels, literally ‘jumping the gun’, some two years before the official election/campaign period.
“Many, if not most of these, are what can be termed as “third-party” campaigns, ostensibly carried out by candidates’ support groups, with dubious financing, most likely in crass violation of campaign financing legislations. There are allegations that some parties/candidates sponsor these premature campaigns hiding behind dubious illegal “third parties”; thereby also breaching campaign finance laws.
“There is no doubt that, currently in Nigeria, the prevalence of premature campaigns raises serious challenges to the preparations and conduct of the 2027 elections, and therefore need to be sanitized urgently. It is being done quite brazenly especially by incumbent elected officials at all levels and tiers of government.”
The former Chairman of INEC who acknowledged the fact that the Nigerian 1999 Constitution (as amended) is silent on the issue of election campaigns and related matters urged the Commission to always seek clarification from political parties on any of its activities it has strong reservations about.
“Furthermore, Section 94(1) states that ‘for the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day. While Section 95(1) states that ‘a candidate and his or her party shall campaign for the elections in accordance with such rules and regulations as may be determined by the Commission.’
“From these provisions, it is clear that jumping the gun is prohibited, and it would seem that the onus of regulating (and sanctioning?) campaigns is placed on INEC. The pertinent questions are: Is there a clear, unambiguous, definition of what constitute election campaign by INEC?
“What guidelines and rules has INEC determined and put in place, for the regulation of election campaigns, especially the premature (“third party”) campaigns? How robust are they? What gaps need to be addressed in good time before the 2027 elections.”
Prof. Jega maintained that Electoral Act made provisions for a specific timeline for commencement of campaigns and premature campaigning that violates the provisions.
In his remarks, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, represented by the Commissioner of Police, Elections Planning, Monitoring and Evaluation, Abayomi Shogunle, assured that the force will always perform its duty of enforcing laws including those that concern seamless conduct of elections.
“We as the law enforcement, we have a duty to enforce laws and then we need to ask ourselves again, what are the relevance of these laws to issues of security and development?
“The Nigerian police force will continue to enforce every law that has been duly passed by the Senate, House of Assembly, House of Representatives as well. And we will continue to do everything needed to be done to ensure that campaigns go on peacefully at any time, at anywhere it is taking place,” he said.
The Rivers contest is expected to draw heightened attention in the oil-rich state, as political actors position for influence in a district long regarded as strategic to the balance of power in Rivers State.
INEC disclosed that the by-elections will hold concurrently with the Ekiti State governorship election, underscoring what promises to be a politically charged day across several parts of the country.
Beyond Rivers, the electoral body listed other affected constituencies to include Nasarawa North Senatorial District, Dawakin Kudu/Warawa Federal Constituency in Kano State, Ondo South Senatorial District, and Enugu North Senatorial District.
The vacancies, according to INEC, arose from a combination of deaths, resignation, and other constitutional developments. In Nasarawa, the demise of Senator Godiya Akwashika has left a gap in a district considered a stronghold of the All Progressives Congress (APC). In Enugu, the passing of Senator Okey Ezea has set the stage for a competitive race in the South-East.
Similarly, the Ondo South seat became vacant following the resignation of Senator Jimoh Ibrahim, who now serves as Nigeria’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, while the Dawakin Kudu/Warawa seat in Kano opened up after the death of Hon. Muhammad Danjuma Hassan.
Analysts say the Rivers South-East by-election, in particular, could reshape political alignments in the state, as parties jostle to fill the void left by Sen. Mpigi and consolidate their foothold ahead of future electoral contests.
Stakeholder from Bayelsa East Senatorial District, on Monday, endorsed the incumbent Senator representing them to run for a second term.
Leading the stakeholders, the former Commissioner for Culture and Tourism and Special Adviser to Governor Douye Diri on Political Affairs (iii), Dr Iti Orugbani, said the reason for the endorsement was based on the federal lawmaker’s trajectory of good deeds and massive execution of projects across communities of the Senatorial district.
Dr Orugbani highlighted some of the projects to include landing jetties, telecommunication masts and town halls amongst others, noting that Sen. Agadaga’s performance has exceeded those of others who hitherto represented the oil rich area.
Bayelsa East Senatorial District comprises Ogbia, Brass and Nembe Local Government Areas of the State.
The Governor’s aide who called on the State’s Eastern political enclave to respect the 2022 new zoning agreement, which guaranteed second term for Senators from the District, stressed the need for political tolerance and peace in the forthcoming 2027 polls.
“In 2022 the leaders and stakeholders across party lines from Bayelsa East held a meeting and altered the old single term for Senators from the district’s agreement and signed that begining from 2023 any Senator emerging from the district must serve for a minimum of two terms.
“In 2023, Senator Biobarakuma Degi-Eremienyo, then an incumbent Senator representing the Senatorial district under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC) was given a second term ticket by the party. Though he lost to the PDP.
“Now that the entire state is now APC and the District has an APC Senator in the person of Benson Agadaga from Ogbia LGA, why not also give him a second tenure?
“The stakeholders in 2022 changed the old political agreement because they saw that it wasn’t beneficial to the district any longer. And so, because it was Ogbia Local Government Area that started the old zoning arrangement by producing the first Senator in 1999, I want to plead that let Ogbia also begin the new two terms zoning agreement”, he said.
Also speaking, the duo of woman leader of a support group, ‘Agadema Women’, Mrs. Owadaba Jokori and the Information Officer of the Ijaw Youths Council (IYC), Central Zone, Comrade Ikio, stated that the incumbent Senator has done well for the district in the past three years that he has been in office.
They lauded the federal lawmaker for his infrastructure projects, especially the construction of landing jetties in select communities of the three local government areas of the district, commending stakeholders for supporting the lawmaker in his second term bid.
In his remarks, Senator Agadaga thanked the stakeholders for the confidence reposed in him and the endorsements he has received lately from constituents and admirers across political parties.
The lawmaker noted that within the past three years that he has been Senator, he has delivered dividends of democracy to his constituents across the Senatorial District, emphasizing that the call for him to be senator from the Brass Senatorial District came to him as a surprise, noting that he accepted the clarion call when the clamour became so loud.
“I was Chief of Staff to the State Governor, Senator Douye Diri, when various groups from the zone came calling on me to contest the 2023 Senatorial polls.
“Ever since winning the elections as a senator, I’ve continued to deliver on my mandate in both representation, lawmaking, oversight, project execution and support for constituents when called upon. And I shall continue to do more if elected for a second term”, the Senator said.
By Ariwera Ibibo-Howells, Yenagoa
Justice Peter Lifu of the Federal High Court in Abuja has set May 15 as deadline for definite hearing in a suit filed by a lawyer, Johnmary Jideobi, seeking to stop former President Goodluck Jonathan from contesting the 2027 presidential election.
The judge on Monday shifted the hearing date following the absence of the plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, and his lawyer in court without any information.
Apart from the absence of the plaintiff, who is a legal practitioner, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the Attorney General of the Federation (AGF) and Minister of Justice, who are 2nd and 3rd defendants in the matter, were also not in court.
Following the absence of the plaintiff and the two defendants, Chris Uche, SAN, representing Dr Jonathan, applied to the court to strike out the suit for lack of diligent prosecution.
Having joined issues with each other, Mr Uche said, the suit is liable for dismissal with a N5 million cost to be awarded against the plaintiff and payable to Dr Jonathan.
He argued that from all indications, the plaintiff has abandoned the suit and ran away upon sighting the preliminary objections raised against the suit, adding that the court is a busy place and not for unserious matters.
Justice Lifu, however, noted that there was no evidence of service of hearing notice on INEC and AGF to appear in court for the suit, adding that lack of service of hearing notice is fundamental.
The judge said rather than striking out the suit, he prefers to bend backward to accommodate the plaintiff and the two defendants for the last time.
While adjourning the matter to May 15, Justice Lifu ordered that hearing notice be served on the plaintiff and the 2nd and 3rd defendants who were not in court on Monday.
The plaintiff, Mr Jideobi, had filed the case seeking an order to restrain Dr Jonathan from presenting himself to any political party as an aspirant for the 2027 election.
He is also asking the court to stop INEC from accepting, processing or publishing Dr Jonathan’s name as a presidential candidate.
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