2023: Lines Presidential Candidates Must Not Cross As Atiku, Obi, Tinubu Set To Kick-Off Campaign

The much-anticipated 2023 presidential election campaign begins on Wednesday, September 2022, to give Nigerians the opportunity to assess the candidates.

While there are 18 political parties fielding candidates for the presidential election, four are considered the main contenders.

They are Peter Obi of the Labour Party; Bola Tinubu of the All Progressive Candidate; Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party and Rabiu Kwankwaso of the New Nigeria Peoples Party.

The campaign promises to be interesting as Nigerians expect the candidates to unveil their manifestoes and tell Nigerians why they should vote for them.

But the 2022 Electoral Act has provided guidance on how the campaign must be conducted, and draw lines candidates and parties must not cross. The Electoral Act has stated clearly the dos and don’ts from expenditure to the language of the campaign.

Election Campaign Expenditure

According to Section 88 (2), election expenses shall not exceed the sum of N5,000,000,000.  Subsection 8 forbids an individual or an entity from donating more than N50,000,000 to a candidate.

 As contained in sub-sections 9 to 11 of section 88, any candidate found contravening the section, commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of 1% of the amount permitted as the limit of campaign expenditure or imprisonment for a term not more than 12 months or both.

While any individual who contravenes the financial limitation is liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N500,000 or imprisonment for a term of nine months or both.

Also, an accountant who falsifies conspires, or aids a candidate to forge or falsify a document relating to his expenditure or receipt or donation for the election or in any way aids and abets the contravention of the provisions commits an offence and is liable on conviction to a fine of N3,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of three years or both.  

No Offensive Language

While the police have been forbidden by the Act from preventing candidates and their political parties from holding rallies, it warned in 92.(1) against a political campaign or slogan being tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal, or sectional feelings.

Also, no campaign shall be abusive, intemperate, or slanderous likely to provoke a violent reaction.

Political parties have also been warned against turning religious centres, police stations, and public offices to political campaigns, rallies, and processions.

No party shall promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates or their programmes or ideologies.

No Armed Private Security

Masquerades shall not be used by any political party or candidate during political campaigns nor would any retain, organise, train, or equip any person or group of persons for physical force or coercion in promoting any political interest.

No political party or candidate shall keep or use armed private security organisations to provide security during campaigns.

As a punishment, a political party that flouts this law shall be fined N2,000,000 in the first instance, and N1,000,000 for any subsequent offence while a candidate shall be fined N1,000,000 or imprisoned for a term of 12 months.

A party or candidate shall not directly or indirectly threaten any person with the use of force to compel such a person to support a political party or candidate.

As a penalty, such a political party, candidate, or group of persons shall be liable on conviction to a maximum fine of N2,000,000, in the first instance, and N500,000 for any subsequent offence; N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months for a candidate.

No Attack By Proxy

Section 94 allows political parties to commence campaigns 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior. No political party shall hire any person or group to advertise, or procure or promote any campaign design to hurt any candidate.

Anyone or group that acts in contravention shall be fined N500,000.

No Incumbency Advantage

In section 95, ruling parties at all levels shall not deploy state apparatus including the media to their advantage. All candidates shall be allocated equal airtime for the campaign and space for print subject to the payment of appropriate fees.

Any contravention is liable on conviction, in the case of public media, to a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance and N5,000,000 for subsequent conviction, and principal officers and other officers of the media house, to a fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of six months.

Campaign Messages Must Not Attack Any Party

A person, print or electronic medium that broadcasts, publishes, advertises or circulates any material for the purpose of promoting or opposing a particular political party shall be fined N1,000,000 or serve six months imprisonment and N1,000,000 for corporate body.

No Tribal, Religious Campaign

A candidate or person that engages in religious, tribal, or sectional campaigns to promote or oppose a particular political party or the election of a particular candidate, shall pay a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months or both while a political party shall be fined N10,000,000.