2027 Political Campaign : ARCON Forum reaffirms Strict Compliance to legal, Ethical Advertising Codes

By Clifford Amuzuo

As the tempo of political campaign activities heightens across the country ahead of the 2027 Nigeria’s general election, the need for strict adherence and compliance to the legal and ethical provisions of Codes Of Advertising was at the hearth of general conversations at the one day Political Advertising Forum organized by the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria ( ARCON).
The industrywide gathering of political stakeholders which held last Tuesday , October 20th 2026 at the D Podium Event Center on Aromire Avenue, Ikeja, Lagos attracted in attendance Political party agents, and interest holders from across the country, mainly including Marketing Communications and advertising industry professionals, representatives cutting across media organizations, broadcasting stations, Security agencies, and The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC officials., the objective been to sensitive, to examine and re- examine the Unfolding state of political advertising environment as the nation enters the crucial phase of the 2027 electioneering campaigns .
The. ARCON Director General, Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, while welcoming participants at the forum remarked that organizing the political advertising forum came as a fallout of Federal directive to agencies and parastatals under purview of the Ministry of Information and National Orientation with the aim of creating continuous engagement with Nigeria’s political community towards towering strict allegiance and adherence to the Laws guiding ethical, truthful decent and responsible political advertising especially as the nation enters the 2027 grounds of electioneering.
Fadolapo representing the Honourable Minister of Information and National , Alhaji Mohammed Idris on the occasion strictly warned that ARCON was leaving no stones unturned in task of enforcing strict compliance to the nation’s codes of advertising practice while ensuring that politicians, political parties and their agents do not flout the rules and thereby set the country on fire through unwholesome political campaign advertisements.
He said ;
“ As ARCON, our mandate is to ensure that all advertisements are legal, are decent, are truthful, and responsible as far as our environment is concerned.
As we all know, we have a country that is very sensitive when it comes to political Communications. For this purpose, we have continuously engaged political gladiators and stakeholders to ensure that in executing their political campaigns they must ensure that these align to the rules and regulations “
ARCON’a mandate, he continued, is to ensure that before adverts are exposed in any media, either traditional or new media, the law require that the advert must have firstly be submitted to ARCON and they must have to seek approval.
ARCON based on this is ensuring, in alliance with other regulatory authorities with security agencies in ensuring that there is compliance.
This forum again is another opportunity as a directive of the federal Miinistry of Information that we must continue to engage stakeholders to ensure that the environment is not toxic as we approach the 2027 elections.
He added : Let me reiterate that ARCON will not allow the opportunity to be abused. We will ensure full enforcement of the Laws governing advertising.
Keynote speaker at the event and the Director General , Center for Media Law and Development, Charles Odenigbo, while exploring on the topic : Political Advertising Campaigns In Nigeria : Guidelines and Compliance, highlighted the necessary conditions that must be met for political advertising campaigns to comply with relevant laws.
According to him, Sponsors or beneficiaries of political advertising must maintain contractual agreements with agencies, media, Influencers, Media Buyers, Media Planners, Consultants and the likes.
Every piece of advertisements must receive prior approval from ARCON’a Vetting organ, the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP). This he said must. apply to platforms including billboards, Radio and Television jingles , newspaper. advertisements, Social media contents and all other Marketing Communications materials
While admonishing political stakeholders , especially, Marketing Communications industry professionals he declared that
“ The2027 election cycle will test this industry as never before “ , as according to him, The proliferation of digital platforms has made it easier than ever to expose advertisements without approval on Facebook X, Whatsapp Channels, Instagram, TikTok and so on. “
The intensity of political competition , he noted, has made it more tempting than ever to ignore the rules.
The choice before every stakeholder in this room is straightforward. Comply with the law or face the consequences. Submit your advertisements for approval. Ensure that your content is issue based and respectful. Respect the spending limits. Adhere to the campaign silence period. And work with the regulator to build a political advertising environment that strengthens rather than undermines our democracy “ he emphasized.
Also speaking at the event, the Chairman, Heads of Advertising Sectoral Groups ( HASG), and President, of Association of Advertising Agencies of Nigeria (AAAN), Lanre Adisa expressed collective resolve and commitment of sectorial groups in the industry to back up ARCON in its regulatory objectives and ensure that the task of achieving an ethical, truthful and responsible political advertising environment becomes a reality even as the country approaches yet another cycle of electioneering.
“ As we approach 2927 general elections, political conversations becomes louder as they are today. Campaigns are more intense and the battle for the hearts and minds of Nigerians becomes increasingly competitive. As this event suggests, political advertising is at the center of of it all.
This raises a fundamental question. The contest for political power, how do we ensure that the process of victory does not come at the expense of truth, decency and the integrity of our democracy . That I believe is why we are gathered here today.
“ An election may be won through effective communication but democracy is strengthened only through responsible Communications”
“Democracy thrives on the freedom to persuade, but its endangered by freedom to deceive. Our task therefore is to protect the former white encouraging the later,” he added
On behalf of HASG and AAAN, and other professional groups that are here, I assure ARCON of our willingness to work collaboratively towards this objectives,