The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned against depriving political parties of access to public facilities in preparation for the upcoming gubernatorial elections in Edo and Ondo States.
In a statement released on Friday, Sam Olumekun, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee at INEC, emphasized that it is illegal to prevent parties or candidates from utilizing public facilities for campaign purposes.
Olumekun pointed out that a common issue during election seasons in Nigeria has been the misuse of the incumbent power to restrict opposition parties and candidates from utilizing public facilities for rallies and other campaign events.
These restrictions may involve denying access to public buildings such as sports stadiums, and open spaces in public areas, limiting or prohibiting access to state-owned media outlets (specifically radio and television stations), imposing high fees and charges for outdoor and media advertising, and even destroying or defacing billboards and posters. Such actions often lead to violent confrontations among supporters of different political parties and disrupt public order.
To clarify, INEC stressed that Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act 2022 expressly prohibits the use of State resources to favor or disadvantage any political party or candidate during an election.
Furthermore, INEC highlighted that according to Sections 95(3-5), public media organizations are required to provide equal coverage and visibility to all political parties and candidates. Section 95(6) outlines penalties for heads of public media organizations, their senior officials, and other employees for any violations of these regulations.
INEC urged all stakeholders to refer to the commission’s official website for the guidelines regarding the organization of political rallies, processions, and campaigns.
Olumekun concluded by emphasizing the importance of adhering strictly to the law and guidelines provided for the electoral process.
