Ex-INEC Boss Jega Urges Probe of Third-Party Campaigners Ahead of 2027 Polls

Attahiru Jega, the former chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has called on the Independent Corrupt Practices and Other Related Offenses Commission (ICPC) and the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to start looking into the funding and activities of third-party campaigners in advance of the general elections in 2027.
A keynote speaker at an INEC roundtable on premature campaigns at the Electoral Institute in Abuja on Thursday, Jega made the plea.

He cautioned that in addition to being illegal, the growing number of early political campaigns weakened governance, increased political unrest, and threatened the integrity of the 2027 elections.

“The EFCC and ICPC ought to focus especially on third-party campaigners and carefully examine their financing sources. The projected expenditure by a third-party campaigner for the candidate or party should be taken into account when assessing whether the expenditures of the candidates and parties are within authorized limits, Jega stated.

In addition, Jega reiterated his demand for the establishment of an Election Offenses Commission and Tribunal, stating that the prosecution of electoral offenders would require such a body immediately.

He emphasized that “the recommendation for the creation of the Elections Offences Commission and Tribunal has become even more urgent, important for consideration, and should be addressed in the next/current level of electoral reforms before the 2027 elections.”

The Electoral Act 2022, according to reports, mandates that campaigns start 150 days prior to the election day and conclude 24 hours before it. Nonetheless, in contravention of the law, 2027 election campaigns have already begun less than two years prior to the election.

Jega said that early campaigns frequently cause leaders to turn their attention from governing to politics.

Premature campaigns do, in fact, frequently exacerbate political rivalry, foment hate speech, and polarize ethnic and religious groups in Nigeria. This discourages nonviolent political engagement, erodes enforcement systems, and frequently leads to violence, particularly in politically unstable places,” he warned.

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Using consultative meetings, project commissioning, ceremonial events, and the distribution of so-called palliatives, he claims that politicians take advantage of loopholes to campaign well in advance of the official window.

“The Key To Reducing Abuse Is Effective Sanctions,” Jega says
Strict penalties are the only way to prevent political actors from breaking the law, according to the former INEC chairman.

Jega issued a warning, saying: “The best way to deal with the problems of any election campaign, especially early ones, is to implement effective sanctions. They provide an unfair playing field, give parties or candidates who acted too quickly unfair advantages, solidify a culture of lawlessness and impunity, and may even spark disputes that threaten the rule of law.

Threatening to File a Lawsuit Against INEC
Shortly after the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) threatened to sue INEC for failing to penalize politicians and political groups running premature campaigns, Jega reportedly called for an investigation.

On September 13, 2025, SERAP encouraged INEC Chairman Prof. Mahmood Yakubu to identify and bring charges against Electoral Act offenders in a letter signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare.

Therefore, it would be very appreciated if the suggested actions were put into action within seven days of this letter being received and/or published. “SERAP will take all necessary legal actions to force you and INEC to comply with our request in the public interest if we don’t hear from you by then,” the group said.