Prominent human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has condemned the ongoing political campaigns ahead of the 2027 general election, describing them as “illegal, premature, and a distraction from governance.”
Speaking on Channels Television’s “Politics Today” programme on Monday, Falana urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to call political actors to order and uphold the Electoral Act 2022, which he said clearly prohibits electioneering activities outside the designated timeline.
“As far as the Electoral Act, 2022 is concerned, the ongoing election campaign is totally illegal,” Falana stated. “It is also diversionary. What Nigerians expect now—and what the law mandates—is governance without disruption.”
The senior advocate expressed concern that early politicking undermines the current administration’s focus on policy execution and service delivery.
“We are two years away from the election, yet campaigning has started. This is not part of our legal framework. If those in power want to amend the law to allow it, let them come forward and propose such changes. Until then, what they are doing is unlawful,” he said.
Falana urged INEC to enforce compliance with the law and emphasized the need for media responsibility in discouraging premature campaigns rooted in ethnic, religious, or other “primordial considerations.”
“The media must help in holding political actors accountable. If someone says they want to replace those in office, Nigerians must ask: What is your plan for fixing electricity? What is your strategy for tackling the crisis in education, bad roads, insecurity, and poverty?”
On governance, Falana stressed that elected officials must prioritize consultation with citizens and local governments, noting that the rule of law and constitutional provisions must guide decision-making, not political calculations.
Turning to a recent statement credited to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who reportedly charged APC stakeholders to “wet the ground” politically, Falana said the phrase may reflect the political culture, but fails to address the deepening economic crisis in Nigeria.
“Things are getting tougher by the day, and the president acknowledged this. But I believe it has gone beyond appealing to governors or stakeholders. What we need is institutional intervention and implementation of laws already in place.”
Falana referenced the National Social Investment Programme Agency Act of 2023, which mandates the Federal Government to adequately fund critical poverty-alleviation initiatives such as:
The Youth Government Enterprises and Empowerment Programme (GEEP)
The National Homegrown School Feeding Programme
The Conditional Cash Grant Programme
“These are not optional policies. They are legal obligations designed to lift millions out of poverty. That is where the focus should be—not on 2027 elections,” he emphasized.
Falana concluded by calling on public office holders to recommit themselves to people-centered governance and to respect the electoral timeline set out by law.
