2015: Some Politicians Will Be Sanctioned For Untimely Campaigns – INEC

The names of the politicians who have already started election campaigns have been complied for possible sanctions by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).

Attahiru Jega

This information was disclosed on Monday morning by the INEC chairman Attahiru Jega who was fielding questions during a live television programme monitored in Lagos.
Jega said that the politicians who have started 2015 general elections campaigning breach the Electoral Act, which stipulates that candidates can only begin campaign 90 days to an election.
He described this act as impunity on the part of the politicians, recalling that political parties in the country had earlier signed a code of conduct and promised not to overheat the polity.

"When you look around, what you see are fundamental breaches against these agreements," Jega said.

He said that "posters and billboards also fall within the offence", adding that a candidate or aspirant is guilty even for allowing his associates to paste such on his behalf.

"You can’t have your poster pasted and you sit back and say someone put it there on my behalf. If someone put it there, why did you not stop him?" Jega asked.

INEC chairman also said that there is "a think line" between different types of political rallies.

If a rally is  to "promote the natural progress of the party and not the candidate", this will not breach the Act. Bt of "a party goes there to say vote for me, then you have crossed the rubicon".
According to the INEC chief, police and other security agencies are already compiling names for sanctions. He, however, did not disclose any of the names.
Jega also defended the time table of the 2015 general elections.
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