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By Baba Mohammed
Politicians have been urged to embrace issue-based and fact-oriented political campaigns devoid of hate speech, personal attacks and inflammatory rhetoric ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The call was made by the keynote speaker, Dr. Charles Odenigbo, at a one-day stakeholders’ engagement on “Political Advertising in Nigeria: Regulations, Compliance and Enforcement on Political Advertising and Campaign Communications Ahead of 2027 General Elections in Kwara State,” held in Ilorin, the Kwara State capital.
Odenigbo advised politicians and political parties to focus their campaigns on policies, programmes and verifiable facts capable of enabling voters to make informed decisions.
He urged political parties to establish dedicated Political Advertising Units and acquaint themselves with relevant advertising laws and regulations to guide their political communications.
The keynote speaker also called for stronger collaboration among the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Kwara State Signage and Advertisement Agency (KWASAA), the Nigeria Police Force and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to ensure effective regulation and compliance with political advertising standards.
Odenigbo cautioned political parties against comparative and disparaging advertisements, stressing the need for responsible political communication.
He further advocated the inclusion of INEC in the ARCON Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) to facilitate proper coordination and streamline political advertisements before Certificates of Approval are issued.
In a remark, the Kwara State Commissioner for Communications, Mrs. Bolanle Olukoju, urged advertising practitioners to maintain professionalism in the placement of political advertisements and comply with the laws and regulations of ARCON and KWASAA.
Olukoju also tasked media organisations with providing their audience with accurate and verifiable information, while commending Governor AbdulRahman AbdulRazaq, for supporting KWASAA in the discharge of its responsibilities.
Earlier in an address of welcome, the General Manager of KWASAA, Mr. Toba Adeyeye, acknowledged political advertising as a legitimate component of the electoral process but stressed that banners, billboards, political jingles and other forms of political advertisements must obtain the necessary approvals from ARCON and KWASAA.
Adeyeye appealed to politicians and their supporters to refrain from advertisements capable of inciting violence, instigating conflict or promoting hatred.
He described ARCON as the apex regulatory body responsible for vetting advertisements and assured political parties and stakeholders that KWASAA would remain neutral and treat all parties fairly.
Also speaking, the Director-General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, reaffirmed the council’s commitment to working with KWASAA to strengthen compliance with regulations governing political advertising.
Fadolapo noted that an Advertising Standards Panel Certificate of Approval could be withdrawn where lapses are subsequently identified in an advertisement that had earlier been approved by ARCON.
Similarly, the Director of Regulation, Dr. Emme Akande, highlighted ARCON’s responsibilities to include advertisement vetting, registration of advertising practitioners and the imposition of sanctions on those who broadcast or publish advertisements without the required approval.
Akande urged advertising practitioners to submit all necessary materials, including scripts and storyboards, for scrutiny before producing and airing political advertisements, stressing the need for strict compliance with the Code of Advertising Practice.
