INEC Preaches Politics of Tolerance, Vows to Apply Law Against Offenders
With growing tension in the political arena, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified its message “fair play” and political tolerance, warning against the use of hate...
With growing tension in the political arena, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has intensified its message “fair play” and political tolerance, warning against the use of hate speeches and condemning states prohibiting political opponents from campaigning with a vow to apply the law against offenders.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), urged politicians to shun hate speech, desist from using masquerades and abstain from use of public facilities and religious centres during campaigns. INEC Chairman has also solicited the support of the media to help counter fake news as they portend danger to national security.
The chairman of the commission, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the warning at a two-day media capacity building workshop on the commission’s progresses, innovations, preparations for the 2023 general elections and critical issues in the Electoral Act 2022.
The event was organised by INEC, European Union (EU) and DAI. The INEC boss who noted that the commission has entered a critical phase in the electoral process, having undertaken eight out of the 14 items on the Calendar and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Elections,”
Prof. Yakubu, who was represented by National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee of INEC, Mr. Festus Okoye, specifically urged all the registered parties to critically study and pay attention to the provisions of the constitution, Electoral Act, Police Act and Public Order Act for proper and peaceful conduct of political campaigns, rallies, and processions.
“A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings. Abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reactions or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.
According to INEC, all parties participating in the 2023 general elections are free to campaign in all the 36 states of the federation.
This, according to the Commission, is in tandem with the Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the 2023 General Election campaign by political parties as provided in Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022.
INEC, therefore, warned state governments not to prevent other political parties from campaigning in their domains.
Throwing more light on this, Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC boss said the “law states that airtime/space of the electronic and print media, whether publicly or privately owned, shall be allotted equally among the political parties or candidates at similar hours of the day.
“It is against the law for a state government to prevent any political party from campaigning during this period. Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 makes it very clear that state apparatus including the media shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.
“Therefore, state governments are strongly advised not to prevent other political parties from campaigning in their domains, the same way that state governments where a different political party is in power cannot prevent a particular political party from campaigning,” he said.
He said any public media that contravenes the provisions of the law shall upon conviction pay a fine of N2 million in the first instance and N5 million for subsequent convictions.
Not only that, “principal officers and other officers of the media house shall be liable to a fine of N1 million or imprisonment for six months.
“The commission is fully committed to implementing the law,” he added.
Apart from imposing huge fees on venues, some governors also use their signage agencies to destroy the campaign billboards and posters of the opposition candidates under flimsy excuses.
Recently, Rivers State Governor Nyesom Wike signed an Executive Order 21 of the state government prohibiting political parties from holding campaigns and rallies using any public facilities without the payment of N5 million security fee.
His action is tantamount to stifling the political space for the opposition parties in the state. The major opposition party in the state, the APC through the spokesperson of his governorship candidate, Tonye Cole Barr Sogbeye ElI said the stifling is “visible in the recent signing into law Executive Order 21, which prohibits the use of public schools, built by taxpayers’ money of Rivers people, for political parties’ events without the prior approval of the state ministry of education (not the school authority vested with the authority to manage the facilities) and the payment of an obscene non-refundable amount of N5 Million”.
The APC said the Electoral Act of 2022 prohibits the Rivers State governor from coming up with laws that will stop other political parties from carrying out political campaigns ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Some analysts have suggested that INEC would need to make examples of some politicians, political parties and state governments flouting these laws by charging them to court for them to take these warnings more seriously.
