2019 Elections: INEC decries lack of powers to punish campaigners’ ahead of time
A development capable of raising legal issues ahead of 2019 general elections may be loading considering the rate at which politicians are declaring their interests and setting up campaign structures including billboards at strategic places nationwide even before the constitutional time given.
According to the election timetable released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), campaigns are supposed to begin from end of December 2018 which can be interpreted to mean that any form of campaigns before the time remains a breach.
Already, INEC has accused political parties and politicians of flouting the 2019 election timetable, but failed to go the extra mile in making it clear that such overture is sanctionable by law including automatic disqualification to contest.
Chairman of INEC, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, who spoke at the maiden town hall meeting convened by the Nigerian Medical Association (NMA), decried lack of constitutional powers to sanction either parties or politicians breaching the election campaign timetable.
Explaining more at the forum, Yakubu, represented by a National Commissioner, Dr. Muhammed Lecky, stressed that “Impunity is all over. There is impunity. You disregard the rules of engagements. You circumvent them so that you can be ahead of the other person. How are we ensuring that we do less impunity going forward?
“An example is the election process; INEC has issued a timetable since January this year; election timetable for 2019. Within that timetable is a schedule of activities- when to commence political party campaign and when it should end.
“For the record, no campaign should start before December 18, 2018. But, of course, when you drive across the road, you see billboards. You see advertisements on television. You come to a forum like this; people make speeches that amount to political party campaigns. This is against the rules. People are disregarding the rules and there are no consequences. INEC does not have that mandate to penalise,” INEC boss averred.
