2023: INEC Issues a Warning About Masquerades Before Election Campaigns

Ibekimi Oriamaja Reports

All political parties and candidates have been forewarned by the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, against using masqueraders, public spaces, and religious institutions for campaigning.
The electoral commission advised political parties to abide by the rules in order to avoid Act-mandated penalties.

Festus Okoye, Chairman of Information and Voter Education and National Commissioner of INEC, made this claim in an interview with Track News .

According to Track News, the announcement comes exactly one month before the start of the campaigns, which the commission set for September 28 while the elections would take place on February 25, 2023.

In previous elections, several political parties and their candidates used a variety of theatrics, such as the usage of masqueraders, to enchant the crowd and liven up their rallies. Others secretly ran campaigns to win over government employees and worshippers in places of worship, particularly churches and mosques.

However, citing the terms of the section, Okoye stated that it is required by Section 92 of the Electoral Act that a political campaign or slogan not be tainted with harsh language that is either directly or indirectly likely to hurt religious, ethnic, tribal, or sectional sensibilities.

Therefore, it is forbidden to use or employ abusive, intemperate, slanderous, or base language, insinuations, or innuendos in political campaigns if they are intended to or are likely to incite violence.

According to Section 3, locations set aside for religious worship, police stations, and government buildings may not be utilized for political demonstrations, processions, or to support, propagandize, or criticize political parties, candidates, or their policies.

“During political campaigns or for any other political purpose, masqueraders shall not be employed or used by any political party, aspirant, or candidate.”

The INEC national commissioner continued by pointing out that compliance with the law should be a top priority for all parties and candidates and that the Act already included punishments for those who broke it.

“A political party, aspirant, or candidate who contravenes any of the provisions of Section 92 of the Act commits an offence and is liable on conviction in the case of an aspirant or candidate, to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months; and in the case of a political party, to a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance, and N1,000,000 for any subsequent offence,” Okoye stated in conjunction with subsections 7(a

“Any person or group of persons who aids or facilitates a political party, an aspirant, or a candidate in organizing or equipping any person or group for the purpose of enabling them to be employed for the use or display of physical force commits an offense and is subject upon conviction thereto to a fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of three years or both.”