Femi Falana, a human rights attorney and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, has demanded that current political campaigns be immediately suspended, cautioning that premature politicking is weakening government and escalating insecurity throughout the nation.
According to a statement he issued on Wednesday morning, Falana’s stance comes after the Independent National Electoral Commission announced that the presidential and National Assembly elections would take place on January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections would take place on February 6, 2027.
Falana bemoaned the fact that political parties and elected officials have already escalated campaigns, neglecting governance and the provision of public services, even though the schedule indicates that elections are roughly ten months away.
“It is common knowledge that some political parties have commenced political campaigns even though elections will not hold until 10 months’ time,” Falana said.
“The governance of the country has since been abandoned for the celebration of defections by elected governors and legislators, as well as other forms of political campaigns.”
Citing an increase in kidnapping and murder cases throughout the nation, the senior attorney connected the alleged disregard of governance to growing insecurity.
Nigeria has had ongoing security issues in recent years, such as increased urban crime, insurgency in the North-East, and banditry in the North-West, all of which have undermined public trust in governmental institutions.
Falana also chastised political actors for what he called the misallocation of resources, pointing out that public funds were being used for “illegal campaigns” rather than important areas like education.
“It is sad to note that while huge public funds are wasted on illegal political campaigns, authorities in the Federal Capital Territory and most states have refused to pay counterpart funds required to access the N98 billion matching grant of the Universal Basic Education Commission,” he stated.
Concerns about deteriorating educational standards in Africa’s most populous country have been raised by the fact that several states have historically been unable to access the Universal Basic Education Commission fund, which is intended to support basic education throughout the country.
Falana reminded political parties of the Electoral Act, which governs campaign schedules, citing legal restrictions.
“Section 98(1) of the Electoral Act, 2026, clearly provides that the period of campaigning shall commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to that day,” he said.
As a result, he urged INEC, the State Security Service, and the Nigeria Police Force to uphold the law.
“We are compelled to call on the relevant authorities to halt further political campaigns in strict compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act,” Falana added.
Early campaigning has become a common occurrence in Nigeria’s electoral cycle, according to political observers, frequently making it difficult to distinguish between electioneering and government. Experts caution that protracted political diversions could further postpone crucial reforms in security, education, and economic management ahead of the 2027 elections, given the country’s population of nearly 200 million and its mounting socioeconomic problems.
