The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned politicians and political against use of provocative and abusive words during their campaigns.
Head of the commission’s Election and Party Monitoring (EPM), Alhaji Abdullahi Ibrahim-Umar, gave the warning at a stakeholders’ forum in Katsina, on Friday.
Ibrahim-Umar advised politicians to conduct themselves in a peaceful, orderly and mature manner.
He said: “Electoral Act 2022 section 92 (1-6) stipulates how political campaign should be conducted. The law provides that a political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly, especially if it is likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.”
Ibrahim-Umar warned further that political campaigns should also not promote, propagate or attack political parties, candidates, their programmes or ideologies.
“Political parties and contestants need to internalise what constitutes campaign regulations or restrictions as contained in the Electoral Act 2022, to avoid committing an offence that is liable to conviction to fine, imprisonment, or both,” he said.
The Electoral Act, according to him, directs and empowers the Commissioner of Police in each State and the FCT to provide adequate security for proper and peaceful conduct of political rallies and processions in their jurisdictions.
“Therefore, no registered political party in Nigeria, its aspirants or candidate shall be prevented from holding rallies, processions or meetings at any time for their constitutional political purposes.”