As the Governorship Elections in Edo and Ondo states enter the campaign stage, twelve electoral offences have been highlighted as crimes that could be activated by injured persons or the electoral body which will attract penalties as stated in the Electoral Act 2022.

According to the Electoral Act, these electoral offences could be committed by individuals, candidates, political parties and the media. Under Section 92 of the Electoral Act 2022, for committing, aiding or abetting the commission of certain prohibited conducts at political campaigns, a candidate is liable to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months.

For a political party, violation of the section of the Act attracts a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance, and N1,000,000 for any subsequent offence.

Specifically, a political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.

According to the Electoral Act 2022, the following offences for an individual or group attract a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of three years or both for contravening the prohibition of establishing a quasi-military organisation.

In addition, employing or using abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke reaction or emotions in political campaigns is an offence;

*Using places designated for religious worship, police stations, and public offices for political campaigns, rallies and processions;

*Promoting, propagating or attacking political parties, candidates or their programmes or ideologies;

*Employing or using masquerades by any political party, aspirant or candidate during political campaigns or for any other political purpose;

*Establishing a quasi-military organisation, retaining, organizing, training, or equipping any person or group of persons by a political party, aspirant or candidate of a political party to enable them to be employed for the use or display of physical force or coercion in promoting any political objective or interest, or in such manner as to arouse reasonable apprehension that they are organized, trained or equipped for that purpose.

*Keeping or using armed private security organisation, vanguard or any other group or individual by whatever name called by a political party, aspirant or candidate to provide security, assist or aid the political party or candidate in whatever manner during campaigns, rallies, processions or elections.

*A person or group of persons who aids or abet a political party, an aspirant or a candidate in contravening the prohibition of establishing quasi- military organisation commits an offence.

Section 93 of the Electoral Act 2022 states that a candidate, aspirant or person or group of persons that contravene the prohibition of the use of force or violence during political campaigns shall be liable to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months.

For a political party, a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance and N500,000 for any subsequent offence.

In clear language, Section 93 of the Act states that a party, candidate, aspirant, or person or group of persons shall not directly or indirectly threaten any person with the use of force or violence during any political campaign to compel that person or any other person to support or restrain from supporting a political party or candidate.

A political party, candidate, aspirant, person or group that contravenes the provision of this section commits an offence.

In addition, Section 94 of the Electoral Act 2022 which deals with contravening the limitation on political broadcast and campaign by political parties attracts a fine of N500,000.

Also Section 95 of the Electoral Act 2022 on Contravening Regulations and Guidelines for campaign for election (and equal access to media) prohibits employing or using state Apparatus including the media to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidates at any election.

*Allocating Media time equally among the political parties or candidates at similar hours of the day

*Allotting equal airtime at any public electronic media to all political parties or candidates during prime times at similar hours each day, subject to the payment of appropriate fees.

*Allotting at any public print media, equal coverage and visibility to all political parties.

According to the Act, a person who contravenes provisions on allotting equal airtime at public electronic media and equal coverage and visibility at public print media commits an offence punishable with a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance and N5,000,000 for subsequent conviction and Principal officers and other officers of the media house: a fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of six months.

Section 96 of the Electoral Act 2022 on broadcasting 24 hours preceding or on election day states that a person, print or electronic medium that broadcasts, publishes, advertises or circulates any material to promote or oppose a particular political party or the election of a particular candidate over the radio, television, newspaper, magazine, handbills, or any print or electronic media whosoever called within twenty-four hours immediately preceding or on polling day commits an offence.

The Section states that where the offence is committed by a body corporate, the principal officers of that body shall be deemed to have equally committed the same offence. For a body corporate, a maximum fine of N1,000,000 and for an individual, a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of six months or both.

Also, campaigning or broadcasting based on religion or tribe, Under Section 97 of the Electoral Act 2022 commits an offence.

According to the Act, for a candidate, person or association, a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both; and for a political party, a maximum fine of N10,000,000.