2027 polls: Falana urges INEC, Police, DSS to stop early campaigns

Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force, and the Department of State Services (DSS) to halt what he described as premature political campaigns by parties and politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Falana, who spoke in a statement issued in his capacity as Chairman of the Alliance on Surviving COVID-19 and Beyond (ASCAB), said the early campaigns violate the provisions of the Electoral Act and are distracting public office holders from governance.

His reaction followed INEC’s announcement fixing January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, and February 6, 2027, for the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections.

According to Falana, several political parties have already commenced campaigns, even though the elections are still about 10 months away.

He lamented that governance across the country had been largely sidelined for political activities, including defections by governors and lawmakers, as well as open campaigns by political actors.

Falana said the growing focus on politics, rather than governance, has worsened insecurity, weakened accountability, and deepened poverty across the country.

“The governance of the country has since been abandoned for the celebration of defection by elected governors and legislators as well as other forms of political campaigns,” he said.

He linked the trend to rising cases of kidnapping, as well as killings by terrorists, bandits, and other armed groups, while also accusing authorities of neglecting critical public welfare obligations.

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Falana further decried what he described as the waste of public funds on illegal campaigns, alleging that while political actors were spending heavily on premature politicking, the authorities in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) and many states had failed to pay counterpart funds needed to access the N98 billion Universal Basic Education Commission (UBEC) matching grant.

According to him, the failure to access the funds has denied the education sector much-needed intervention at a time of growing hardship.

Citing Section 98(1) of the Electoral Act, Falana said the law clearly stipulates that public campaigning by political parties can only begin 150 days before polling day and must end 24 hours before the election.

He quoted the provision as stating that, “For the purpose of this Act, the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”

On the strength of the law, Falana urged INEC and security agencies to enforce compliance and prevent further breaches.

“We are compelled to call on the Independent National Electoral Commission, the Nigeria Police Force, and the State Security Service to halt further political campaigns in strict compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act,” he said.