2027: Prof. Jega Warns Against Early Election Campaigns, Urges Sanctions

Professor Attahiru Jega, former National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has warned that unless tougher sanctions are imposed, political parties and aspirants will continue to violate election laws by engaging in early campaigns.

NIGERIA NEWS 247 explains that early campaigns refer to electioneering activities conducted outside the legally specified period.

Speaking at INEC’s Roundtable on the Challenges of Early Campaigns held in Abuja on Wednesday, Professor Jega stressed that vague laws and weak enforcement encourage such violations by political actors.

According to the political science expert, early campaigns undermine fairness by giving undue advantages to candidates who start early, disrespect legal frameworks, foster a culture of lawlessness, heighten political tensions, and risk inciting conflicts that threaten law and order.

“Effective sanctioning is the key solution to addressing the problem of early election campaigns,” Jega emphasized.

He described early campaigning as an undesirable anomaly that seriously threatens the integrity of democratic elections, warning that if left unchecked, it could undermine the entire electoral process.

“Most electoral systems require campaigns to adhere strictly to legal timelines, respect the rights of all parties to campaign fairly, and follow official complaint and appeal procedures,” he added, referencing the ACE Electoral Knowledge Network.

Jega lamented that early campaigns remain insufficiently regulated and are becoming increasingly common, particularly through widespread display of campaign posters by incumbents at federal and state levels.

He also highlighted concerns over the use of “third parties” to covertly finance early campaigns.

With two years remaining until the 2027 general elections, the presence of campaign billboards for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu across Abuja and other parts of Nigeria underscores the problem.

“The blatant nature of early campaigns, especially by incumbent officials, poses serious challenges to the preparation and conduct of the 2027 elections and must be urgently addressed,” Jega said.

He noted that the Nigerian Constitution and the Electoral Act explicitly prohibit early campaigning, specifying clear timelines for when campaigns should commence. Violating these provisions not only undermines INEC’s authority but also disrupts fair competition and inflates campaign spending.

Early campaigns also distract elected officials from governance duties and intensify political rivalries, often fueling hate speech, ethno-religious polarization, and violence—particularly in volatile regions—thus discouraging peaceful political participation.

Jega explained that politicians exploit legal loopholes through activities such as “consultative meetings, project commissioning, ceremonial events, and distribution of so-called palliatives” to conduct early campaigns, rendering election laws ineffective and promoting a culture of impunity, especially among ruling parties.