Political actors preparing for the 2027 general elections are being reminded that campaign publicity will not be free from regulatory oversight, as the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) moves to enforce approval requirements for political advertisements.
The council’s warning places political parties, aspirants, support groups and media organisations on notice as campaign-related communication begins to attract greater attention ahead of the elections.
ARCON Director-General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, said the council would ensure that political advertising complies with the Nigerian Code of Advertising and other applicable laws.
At the centre of the warning is the requirement that political advertisements receive approval from the Advertising Standards Panel before they are exposed to the public. ARCON said this requirement applies to advertisements carried through both traditional and online platforms.
The council said exposing an advertisement without the required approval amounts to an offence under Section 34(3) of the Nigerian Advertising Act No. 23 of 2022. It therefore called on political parties and campaign organisations to immediately stop the use of unapproved advertisements.
The warning also extends beyond those directly sponsoring campaigns. ARCON said it intends to pursue individuals and corporate organisations that sponsor, cause to be exposed, expose or benefit from political advertising that has not received the required approval.
The regulator said it would work with other law enforcement agencies to strengthen enforcement across advertising platforms and pursue legal action where necessary.
For political campaigners, the message is clear: as preparations for 2027 gather momentum, political advertising will have to operate within the regulatory framework set by ARCON, regardless of whether the message appears in traditional media or online.
Do you think the political actors can adhere to this warning?
