…says PVCs ready for collection in one month
Ondo REC assures riverine voters of seamless elections
By Dotun Aderoboye
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned political parties, aspirants and candidates against violating the Electoral Act during campaigns ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It says offenders risk heavy fines and imprisonment.
The Ondo State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Dr. Mutiu Agboke, who disclosed this on Thursday, said aspirants and candidates convicted of breaching the provisions governing political campaigns could be fined N5 million or sentenced to 12 months in prison.
He said political parties faced a N10 million fine for a first offence and N5 million for subsequent offences, while persons who aided or abetted certain campaign violations could be fined N2 million or jailed for three years, or both.
Agboke, who spoke on preparations for the 2027 elections, said campaigns had commenced for presidential, governorship and National Assembly elections and would end a day or two before the respective elections.
He urged political actors to campaign with decorum and within the guidelines stipulated by the Electoral Act and INEC.
According to him, Section 95 of the Electoral Act places responsibility for the security of campaign, rally and processional grounds on the Commissioner of Police in each state.
He said the police could co-opt other security agencies to ensure the safety of lives and property during political activities.
The REC also drew attention to Section 96, which prohibits campaign language or slogans capable of injuring religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.
He said abusive, slanderous or base language, as well as insinuations and innuendoes designed to provoke violent reactions, were equally prohibited.
Agboke further warned that religious worship centres, police stations and public offices must not be used for political campaign rallies or processions to promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their programmes.
He added that masquerades were prohibited from being used by political parties, aspirants or candidates during campaigns.
The REC also criticised the use of musicians to disparage political opponents at campaign grounds, saying such conduct should not form part of political activities.
“These are the things that should guide our activities during campaigns. Why do you have to abuse?” he asked.
Agboke urged political parties and candidates to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the Electoral Act and comply with them, stressing that any party that violated the law would not be worthy of being called a political party.
On the enforcement of the law, he said political parties that observed violations by their opponents should petition the security agencies.
“The violation of the Electoral Act is to be prosecuted by the law enforcement agencies. If they put their case files together and forward them to INEC, we can prosecute,” he said.
He also said INEC had a fully equipped Election and Party Monitoring Department with the responsibility of monitoring campaigns across the state.
Agboke dismissed the notion that incumbents or powerful political actors could influence INEC, saying the Commission was guided by the law.
“What is the business of INEC with whether someone is an incumbent or not?” he asked, citing the Osun election as evidence of the Commission’s independence.
He said INEC had reviewed inadequacies identified during previous off-cycle elections and would use the lessons to improve the 2027 polls.
According to him, the Osun election was the best of all the off-cycle elections conducted by the Commission, adding that INEC would build on the experience to deliver a better election in 2027.
The REC also assured voters in riverine areas of Ondo State that INEC was prepared to address challenges posed by the terrain and network connectivity.
“There has never been any time when there was a problem in the riverine areas in Ondo State. INEC has always ensured that we rise to the occasion and do the needful,” he said.
He added that the recently-concluded bye-election in the state was successfully conducted, stressing that INEC understood the terrain and would match the challenges with the required strength.
Agboke said the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise was successful, noting that many residents turned out even after the extension granted by the Commission.
He disclosed that the Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) were expected to be ready for collection within about one month.
“What is important is that people are eager to collect their PVCs and I want to assure you that maybe in the next one month or thereabout, the PVCs should be out for collection,” he said.
He urged those who registered to collect their cards and vote, rather than become apathetic.
“There is no need to be apathetic about the process. If there are issues, we look at the issues together and resolve them,” he said.
On vote buying, Agboke said INEC had no money to buy votes, insisting that political stakeholders were responsible for the practice.
“It is not about what INEC is doing. INEC has no money to buy any vote,” he said, adding that the Commission would continue to involve security agencies in tackling vote buying.
He also warned Nigerians against spreading misinformation and disinformation on social media ahead of the 2027 elections.
“That you have a free space on social media does not mean you can just throw out anything. You have to verify what you do,” he said.
Agboke said INEC expected misinformation and disinformation to be a challenge in 2027, adding that security agencies were also monitoring the situation.
He said the Commission would continue engaging political parties and traditional rulers as campaigns intensify, while working with the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to strengthen voter education.
“We need to step up this awareness to engender confidence in the minds of the people and I can assure you that we will not rest on our oars,” he said.
The REC urged Nigerians not to allow themselves to be used to attack one another during campaigns, stressing that citizens were members of the same family.
He particularly warned youths against political thuggery and urged them to remain alive to participate in the 2027 elections.
“It is only a living man that can vote on election day. It is a gullible and stupid person that will die for anybody’s political interest,” Agboke said.
He urged Nigerian youths to aspire to become senators and governors rather than allow themselves to be used for political violence, stressing that properly organised campaigns and responsible conduct would help prevent negative incidents during the 2027 electoral process.