The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has raised concerns over the rising incidence of unapproved political advertisements being circulated by politicians, political parties, and affiliated support groups ahead of the 2027 general elections.
According to the Council, several of the adverts currently in circulation have not been vetted or approved and, in some cases, are alleged to violate established religious and ethnic sensitivity guidelines as well as provisions of the Nigerian Code of Advertising.
The Director-General of ARCON, Olalekan Fadolapo in a statement noted that all political campaign communications and voter education materials must strictly comply with the Nigerian Advertising Law and other applicable regulations governing advertising and marketing communications in the country.
The Council reiterates that the exposure of unapproved advertisements across traditional and digital media platforms without prior clearance from the Advertising Standards Panel constitutes an offence under Section 34(subsection 3) of the ARCON Act.
ARCON has directed all political parties, aspirants, campaign organisations, advertising agencies, media owners, and related stakeholders to immediately desist from publishing or airing any political advertisements that have not received the required regulatory approval.
The Council further announced that, in collaboration with relevant law enforcement agencies, it will soon commence a nationwide enforcement operation aimed at identifying and removing all political advertisements that lack prior approval.
It also warned that it will not hesitate to prosecute individuals and corporate entities found to be involved in sponsoring, disseminating, or benefiting from non-compliant political advertising materials.
ARCON reaffirmed its commitment to ensuring fairness, decency, and compliance in political communication as the nation moves towards the 2027 general elections.
