Ahead of the commencement of presidential campaigns tomorrow, a code of conduct guiding activities has been issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
The Commission has warned that a political message or slogan must not be tainted with abusive language, directly or indirectly, likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings. INEC also said 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.
The electoral empire further warned incumbent political office holders against using the power of incumbency to deny opposition parties access to public facilities for campaigns. The Commission said such action was illegal and would attract sanctions as spelt out in the Electoral Act 2022.
INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, gave the warning at a sensitisation forum for broadcasters and stakeholders on fair and responsible coverage of the 2023 general elections organised by the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) in Abuja.
The code of conduct was also unveiled to newsmen, yesterday, at a two-day capacity-building workshop for INEC Press Corp Members on critical issues in the Electoral Act 2022 and the Commission’s Processes, Innovations and Preparations for the 2023 General Elections in Abuja.
There had been reported cases of state governments denying opposition parties the use of public facilities for campaign during the electioneering period. Yakubu, however, maintained that Section 95 of the Electoral Act 2022 had defined the responsibilities of political parties and candidates, the media and public institutions and also provides sanctions for violations.
He noted that in the course of the Commission’s interactions with political parties, many have complained about the denial of access to public facilities for meetings and rallies, exorbitant charges for signages and billboards and equal access to state media.
The INEC chairman said: “This period is often characterised by excitement as well as anxiety. Campaigns should be devoid of hate speech; abusive, intemperate or slanderous language; insinuations or innuendoes likely to provoke a violent reaction; a physical attack on supporters of one party by another or destruction of campaign materials.”
Also, INEC National Commissioner in charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Festus Okoye, reminded the media of their constitutional and legal obligations, saying state apparatus, including the media, shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate.
“In other words, equal coverage and visibility shall be allotted to all political parties by all public print and electronic media organisations. The same applies in equal measure to privately owned media organisations subject to payment of appropriate fees,” he said.
The INEC chairman urged all the 18 registered political parties to critically study and pay attention to the provisions of the Constitution, the Electoral Act, the Police Act and the Public Order Act for the proper and peaceful conduct of political campaigns, rallies and processions.
Speaking at the forum, Director General of NBC, Balarabe Shehu Ilelah, urged broadcasters to familiarise themselves with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2022, which empowers the electoral umpire to prosecute presenters, principal officers, media house owners and any person that contravene the Electoral Act, and if found wanting, can be fined millions of naira or imprisoned or get both.
AS the nation awaits the intense fireworks to be unleashed by political parties and their candidates, the leader of Afenifere, a pan-Yoruba socio-political group, Pa Ayo Adebanjo, yesterday, fired the first salvo, when he stated that the group is supporting the presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, to keep the country together.
