Nigeria, Sept. 11 -- Speaking at a roundtable on "Challenges of Premature Political Campaigns", Yakubu said Nigeria's electoral laws give INEC no teeth to bite offenders, despite widespread violations across the country.

"The problem is the law itself," he admitted. "Section 94(1) of the Electoral Act bars campaigns earlier than 150 days before polling, but there is no sanction for breaches. What we see instead is perpetual campaigning outdoor adverts, rallies, media blitzes all before we even release the official timetable."

He noted that while the law prescribes a maximum fine of 500,000 for campaigns within 24 hours of election day, no penalty exists for those who start campaigning too early. This gap, Yakubu warned, undermines gover...