INEC to politicians: Stop campaigning in churches, mosques

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has frowned at campaigns in public offices and religious centres, saying doing so constitutes violation of Electoral Act.

While warning political parties and candidates against violations, INEC asked them to align strictly with the provisions of the Electoral Act to avoid sanctions as stipulated by the Act.

INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Committee on Information and Voter Education, Mr Festus Okoye, explained that the law expected political campaigns to be civil and devoid of abuse as provided in Section 92 of the Electoral Act, 2022.

The electoral body fixed September 28 for the take off of presidential and National Assembly campaigns, while the elections are slated for February 25, 2023.

The timetable released by the commission also indicated that governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections would hold on March 11, 2023.

In the past campaigns most political parties and their candidates engaged in subtle campaigned in public offices and worship centres, especially churches and mosques, to woo civil servants and worshippers, respectively.

Okoye said: “Section 92 of the Electoral Act makes it mandatory that a political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.

“Therefore, abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.

“Subsection 3 states that places designated for religious worship, police stations and public offices shall not be used for political campaigns, rallies and processions; or to promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their programmes or ideologies.

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“Masqueraders shall not be employed or used by any political party, aspirant or candidate during political campaigns or for any other political purpose.”

The INEC official stated that reference to subsection (5) of Section 92 warned parties and candidates against training or enlisting the help or services of individuals or groups for the purpose of displaying physical force or coercion in a manner that could arouse reasonable apprehension during the campaigns.

Okoye added: “A political party, aspirant or candidate shall not keep or use armed private security organisation, vanguard or any other group or individual by whatever name called for the purpose of providing security, assisting or aiding the political party or candidate in whatever manner during campaigns, rallies, processions or elections.

“A political party, aspirant or candidate who contravenes any of the provisions of Section 92 of the Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction in the case of an aspirant or candidate, to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months; and in the case of a political party, to a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance, and N1,000,000 for any subsequent offence.

“A person or group of persons who aids or abets a political party, an aspirant or a candidate in organising or equipping any person or group for the purpose of enabling them to be employed for the use or display of physical force commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of three years or both.

“A political party, candidate, aspirant, person or group of persons that contravenes the provisions of Section 93(1) of the Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction in the case of a candidate, aspirant, or person or group of persons, to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months; and in the case of a political party, to a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance, and N500,000 for any subsequent offence.”

The Star