INEC, control political campaigns

Despite the fact that our extant electoral laws frowned at early electioneering campaign, our political leaders, both ruling and opposition at the national level, have been very busy with indirect campaigns. This is more worrisome while some parts of the country are at the moment engulfed in carnage that more often than not can be described as a WAR.

Have these people heard of massacre in Mafa, Bama, Buni Yadi, Konduga, Kawuri, Idzge, and other centres of disaster in Borno, Yobe and Adamawa states or they are more interested in welcoming decamped politicians from one party to another? By the way, what does the law say on early campaign? Section 99 (1) of the 2010 Electoral Act (as Amended) warns that “the period of campaigning in public by every political party shall commence 90 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day.”

Then why are our political leaders circumventing the law deceptively? The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) must wake up to its mandate and check the growing indirect campaigns by the two major political parties in the country: PDP and APC.

Jimoh Salman,
Kuje, Abuja.