2019: Council keys into stopping harmful political campaign advertisements

As the 2019 General Elections approaches, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has added its voice for a rancor free and safe poll across the country. The organization raised concern as political campaigns have begun and to guard against harmful advertisements that will flood the media which could hurt peace and stability of the […]

As the 2019 General Elections approaches, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) has added its voice for a rancor free and safe poll across the country.

The organization raised concern as political campaigns have begun and to guard against harmful advertisements that will flood the media which could hurt peace and stability of the nation.

This was the worry of the Acting Registrar of APCON, Mrs Ijedi Iyoha, who warned that media houses only disseminate advertisements that conform to the prevailing laws of the Federation.

She told the media in Abuja to check such advertisements to announce activities of the upcoming forum on “Political advertising and hate speech” organized by APCON and the Advertising Practitioners Association, Abuja Chapter (APAAC) scheduled for October 11 as part of its contribution for a free and credible poll.

Iyoha said that role of the media was to ensure that the interest of a united Nigeria was paramount and unquantifiable hence advised that the media must be professional in information dissemination and abide by the prevalent laws guiding political campaign advertisements.

While tasking the media to ensure their platforms were not used as driving channels to bring unwholesome political campaign advertisements to Nigerians, Iyoha appealed to election candidates, their supporters, political advertising consultants and managers of media organizations to exercise restraint and comply with relevant laws and regulations on political advertising especially during the period leading to the elections.

She said that APCON was charged with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisement conformed to the prevailing laws of the federation as well as the code of ethics of advertising and ensures that it carries out sensitization on matters relating to advertisement. This is especially where the necessity for consumer or public awareness on peculiar areas of concern becomes imperative and where caution was required from concern from advertisers in pursuit of reasonable standard of morality, decency and order.

According to her, “For  as much as the electorates look forward to convincing and logical manifestos from political office aspirants as well as having the rights to choose their representatives, their sense of civility, political view, preferred candidate, religious affiliation and ethnic and cultural background ought not to be insulted, exploited or endangered through unethical political advertising and hate speech.”

She warned that the desires and aspirations of political aspirants to serve their people should not supersede laws made to ensure public order.

The acting Registrar said that media houses should always vet their materials for advertisement with APCON adding that there were sanctions for media house that went against their rules. “Our law says that for every material to be exposed must pass through APCON clearance through Advertising Standard Panel (ASP) so if you go against that there is a sanction for it.”