The Federal Government has disbanded the Secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel over the endorsement of billboards accused of attempting to manipulate the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with the slogan, ‘All Eyes on The Judiciary’.
This was made known in a statement issued by the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, on Tuesday, August 15, 2023.
Fadolapo noted that the council has suspended its Director and Deputy Director responsible for Regulations, pending an investigation into the matter.
The ARCON boss stated: “The attention of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria has been drawn to the ‘All Eyes on the Judiciary’ advertisements exposed on some billboards across the country.
“The concepts exposed were not approved by the Advertising Standards Panel, hence, the Council has directed that all the materials being exposed be brought down immediately and the violators sanctioned.
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“The Advertising Standards Panel of the Council also erred in the approval of one of the concepts as the advertisement failed to vet guidelines on the following grounds:
“The cause forming the central theme of the campaign in the advertisement is a matter pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. Hence, it’s jus pendis.
“A matter being jus pendis and awaiting judicial pronouncement is, by virtue of the Nigerian legal system, precluded from being a subject of public statement, debate, discussion, advertisement, etc.
“The advertisement is controversial and capable of instigating public unrest and breach of public peace.
“The advertisement is considered blackmail against the Nigerian Judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and particularly the Honourable Justices of the Tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is currently jus pendis.”
The ASP, a Statutory Panel within ARCON, is tasked with ensuring that advertisements adhere to the prevailing laws of the federation and the Code of Ethics for advertising professionals.
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