The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged lawmakers and stakeholders to take urgent action against the growing menace of premature election campaigns, warning that the trend threatens the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

Speaking at a one-day Stakeholders’ Roundtable on Premature Political Campaigns organised by The Electoral Institute (TEI) on Tuesday in Abuja, the INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, identified gaps in the country’s electoral legal framework as a major challenge in tackling early campaigns.

Yakubu pointed to Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act 2022, which sets a 150-day window for campaigns, noting that the law does not prescribe sanctions for violations. He stressed that this loophole encourages politicians, aspirants, and third-party agents to spend heavily long before the campaign period, thereby undermining the Commission’s ability to track campaign finance and enforce spending limits.

“These early actions distort fairness, escalate the cost of political competition, distract from governance, and erode public confidence in the system,” he said, adding that INEC had invited the leadership of the National Assembly Committees on Electoral Matters to hear recommendations directly from stakeholders.

Earlier in his welcome remarks, TEI Board Chairman, Prof. Abdullahi Abdu Zuru, lamented the rising use of cultural festivals, religious gatherings, and social media influencers to subtly promote political ambitions long before official timelines. He described the trend as a deliberate circumvention of the law that continues to gain momentum.

Delivering the keynote address, former INEC Chairman, Prof. Attahiru Jega, described premature campaigns as “a serious threat to elections” and called for accountability. He argued that political parties, candidates, and especially incumbents should be held responsible and penalised for early campaigns carried out on their behalf by third parties.

The roundtable also featured presentations from the Chairman of the House Committee on Electoral Matters, the Inspector General of Police, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), and the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC).

INEC emphasised that it will continue to push for reforms in the ongoing review of the Electoral Act to ensure a level playing field for all political actors ahead of future elections.