A human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has said the ongoing campaign ahead of the 2027 general election is illegal and diversionary.
Speaking on Channels Television Programme, Politics Today Monday, the learned silk called on the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) to draw the attention of politicians, including the government, including those who constitute the government, to the provisions of the Electoral a Act, 2022.
Regarding the Electoral Act, 2022, the ongoing election campaign is illegal. Illegal. It’s also diversionary. Because what Nigerians expect now is that the law provides governance of the country without disruption.
“So it’s not time yet to campaign. I also hope that the INEC will draw the attention of politicians, including the government and those who constitute the government, to deliver provisions of the electoral act. There is no provision yet. There is no room yet for campaigning in Nigeria.
“Two years ahead of the election. It’s not part of our law. That should be done if the people in power want to amend the law. I will say that. And the media must help Nigeria, particularly when it’s time to campaign. We must take politicians out of the cocoon of ethnicity, religion and other primordial considerations.
“We must address the problems that are confronting our people. What is your solution if you say you want to replace those in power? The electricity crisis, crisis in the education system, bad roads, and other problems are being confronted in Nigeria as a nation.
“What do you want to do there? For those in power, you have to consult with the people. Confide in local governments in the country. Local governments that are known to the people.
We must ensure this country is run based on the rule of law. That’s not what is going on now.
‘You have elections in 2027, almost three or six months ago, election campaigns have started in the country.
When is the government going to govern the country? And that is why the law has set out that when election campaigns have started, when they can end, it cannot be a business of four years,” he said.
Commenting on the recent charge by President Bola Tinubu to ‘wet the ground’, Falana said: “We are now with the current norm which implies that some wetting of the ground has taken place, but as far as the masses of our people are concerned, things are getting tougher by the day because of the harsh economic crisis in the country, which the president recognised on that occasion.
“Nigerians, all over the country, are complaining that things are getting tougher for them. Therefore, the president appealed to the APC governors to wet the ground more. With profound respect, the matter has gone beyond appealing to governors and other stakeholders in the system.
“The National Social Investment Programme Agency Act of 2023 has imposed a duty on the federal government to fund the Youth Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme, the National Homegrown School Feeding Programme, and the Conditional Cash Grant Programme.
“These programmes are designed to alleviate poverty as far as poor people are concerned. We are talking about poverty-stricken Nigerians…”
