From September 28, 2022, Nigeria political parties and their supporters will start campaigns and rallies in preparations of the general elections that is coming on February 25, 2023.
To make sure that things go smooth during the campaign season, the Nigeria Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) for the Electoral Act 2022, Sections 91 – 97, write down all the laws that will guide candidates, there political parties and their supporters that will follow.
This set of campaign rallies will be the first time for Nigeria elections history that political campaigns and rallies will only last for 150 days or five months according to Section 94 (1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
The section also says all the political campaigns and rallies must end 24 hours on election day proper.
“94.—(1) 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.”
Any party or the supporter that disobeyed the law and continue campaign adverts 24 hours to election day have committed crime and it will pay maximum fine of N500,000.
If it’s media house that committed the offence, have the right to says it was the senior officers committed the offence.
Therefore, the company will pay maximum fine of N1,000,000 ; and if it was individual, is applicable to pay maximum fine of N1,000,000 or go to jail for six months or both.
Aside from how long campaigns will last and the day it will end, everything that will keep the campaign and election, and all political parties and their supporters must abide should correspondent the Nigeria law for Electoral Act 2022 give?
No abusive words for campaign Section 92
Is against the law to use abusive words or language that is not understandable “directly or indirectly” against any religion, ethnicity, or tribe that will hurt their feeling during the political campaigns.
Is not advisable to any parties supporters to use language that will cause violence reaction during campaign.
Venues of the campaign
Mostly, some places is not permitted to do political campaign, rally or procession.
Section 92 (3) say: “like Places for religious worship, police stations, and public offices suppose not used — (a) for political campaigns, rallies and processions; or Conduct for political rallies and processions.”
Every Party Have Right to Campaign
The Act give right to every single political party and their candidates to do rallies, procession at any time they wish to do their “constitutional political purpose”.
According to Electoral Act, 2022 No. 13 A 393 (b) is against the law “to promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their programmes or ideologies.”
Therefore, no political party or candidate should be allowed to use Masquerade for any political purpose.
Is also against the law for any part to train, organise or give weapon to thieves or bad boys for them to use to forcefully promote their political agenda.
If any of these things happen in that venue and it clash, Section 91 (4) says, police officer doesn’t have right to use force, but to create peace or to settle the matter by the two parties involved.
Penalty for preventing Others from campaigning
The electoral authorities will punishment any party or candidate that break the law by trying to prevent other from doing their campaign in peace.
Any party or candidate that committed the offence for Section 92 you will face the following punishment:
If it was candidate, it will pay maximum fine of N1,000,000 or go jail for 12 months.
If it was political party, committed, a fine of N2,000,000 if it happens on the first time, and N1,000,000 for any other offence that committed later.
If you are guilty of giving moral support to break the law for section 92, whether it should one person or group of people, they will pay N500,000 or go jail for three years or both.
If it’s by force or violence you directly or indirectly during political campaign make the person to support or stop to support a political party you have committed offence for doing that .
Section 93 (2a) says if you are the offender candidate, one person or group of people, your punishment is maximum fine of N1,000,000 or prison for 12 months; (2b) says if you are political party, fine of N2,000,000 that you will pay first, if you commit the offence again, you will pay N500,000.
How Security Suppose to Behave
The Electoral Act 2022 shouldn’t forget about the security matter or how security officers suppose behave.
Every political party have the right to enjoy officer police protection during there rallies and procession and the Commissioner of Police for each state and the federal capital Territory is expected to provide it.
Accordingly, Section 91 (2) says, any policeman or security official that doesn’t have official posting to a particular rally or procession don’t have right to be there.
Again, the Act, Section 91 (3), is give warning for police and security agency, to remind them that know matter the power that other laws give them, like the Police Act, Public Order Act or any other law, is only meant to to work for political rally and also creating peace and prosperity.
States Media and Political Campaign
No candidate or political party have the right to use the country property – including media, for his advantage or the disadvantage of other candidates or party
Any media houses that takes Law into his hands, whether government or private company, is expected to give equal time to all political parties or candidates during similar hours as long as they pay the money that they supposed paid.
If it’s newspaper also? They will also expected to give equal coverage to all political parties.
Any media companies that doesn’t obey the law have committed offence and it will face penalty for not giving equal time to every party or candidate.
Section 95 (6a) says, public media, will pay fine of N2,000,000 for the first time and N5,000,000 if it repeated the offence.
The matter still continue! Section 95 (6b) say principal officers plus other officers of the media house, will pay fine of N1,000,000 or go to prison for six months.
Finally, is not advisable to allowed to do campaign or political broadcast elsewhere base on religion, tribe or interest of one section sake of opposing or promoting any particular political party.
If single person or group of people committed this offence will pay maximum fine of N1,000,000 or prison for 12 months or both.