Former federal lawmaker Dachung Bagos has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to demonstrate its neutrality by sanctioning President Bola Tinubu and his supporters over billboards bearing the inscription “Vote Tinubu 2027”, which have appeared in parts of the country well ahead of the official campaign window.
Speaking on AIT’s Focus programme on Thursday, Bagos, who represented the Jos South/Jos East Federal Constituency in the House of Representatives, said the billboards contravene Section 94 of the Electoral Act, 2022, which prohibits campaign messages explicitly soliciting votes outside the designated period.
“The law is against using the word ‘vote for,’ so any early discussions in campaign posters that talk about ‘vote for’ are the only things that the law talks about,” he explained.
He noted that while some posters attempt to skirt the law by omitting the phrase “vote for,” at least one billboard in Abuja features both President Tinubu and the First Lady, along with the words “Vote Tinubu 2027” — a direct violation, according to the Electoral Act.
“With that word ‘vote,’ it is against the law, in Section 94. Whosoever, either the candidate or the party that puts that, INEC is supposed to have sanctioned this person,” Bagos asserted.
He added: “If it is the president and there is no party logo, because of the word ‘vote’ alone, INEC is supposed to sanction the president and caution him.”
Bagos warned that INEC’s credibility is on the line, especially as preparations for the 2027 general elections begin to take shape. According to him, any failure by the electoral body to enforce its own rules will send a dangerous signal about its impartiality.
“This is a test for INEC. If they don’t act now, people will see them as compromised ahead of 2027,” he said.
As political temperatures begin to rise, Bagos’s comments highlight growing concerns over the early use of political messaging and the enforcement of electoral laws designed to ensure a level playing field. INEC is yet to issue a public response regarding the controversial billboards.
