Nigeria's Early Campaign Billboards Violate Electoral Act

In Nigeria, political campaign billboards have appeared on major roads well over 150 days before the official start of public campaigning, which is scheduled for August 19, 2026, according to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This early display of billboards by politicians, including those from the All Progressives Congress (APC), African Democratic Congress (ADC), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), and Allied Peoples Movement (APM), raises concerns about compliance with the Electoral Act.

Legal analysts, including Samson Itodo, Executive Director of YIAGA Africa, argue that these billboards, which solicit voter support, amount to premature campaigning. The Electoral Act mandates that public political campaigns begin 150 days prior to election day, which is set for January 16, 2027, for presidential and National Assembly elections, and February 6, 2027, for governorship and state assembly elections.

Despite the legal framework, the presence of these billboards suggests a disregard for the rules by the politicians involved.