The Federal Government of Nigeria, dissolved the Secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel, over its approval of billboards termed as blackmailing the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, titled: ‘All Eyes on The Judiciary.’
This was contained in a statement issued on Tuesday, by the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo.
Fadolapo in the statement, also revealed that the Council has suspended its Director and Deputy Director in charge of Regulations, to allow investigations into the matter.
Stating that some of the adverts were not approved by the ASP, Fadolapo said the Panel erred in the approval of one of the concepts, as the advertisement failed vetting guidelines.
The ASP is the Statutory Panel under the Council, which is charged with the responsibility of ensuring that advertisements conform to the prevailing laws of the Federation, as well as the Code of advertising ethics of the Advertising profession.
However, the ARCON DG, Highlighted in the statement, the grounds on which the advert should not have been allowed.
The statement reads: “The attention of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeriə [ARCON) has been drawn to the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” advertisements exposed on some billboards across the country. The concepts exposed were not approved by the Advertising Standards Panel, hence, the Council has directed that all the materials being exposed be brought down immediately and the violators sanctioned.
“The Advertising Standards Panel of the Council also erred in the approval of one of the concepts as the advertisement failed to vet guidelines on the following grounds:
“The cause forming the central theme of the campaign in the advertisement is a matter pending before the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal. Hence, it’s just pendis.
“A matter being suspended and awaiting judicial pronouncement is, by the Nigerian legal system, precluded from being a subject of public statement, debate, discussion, advertisement, etc.
“The advertisement is controversial and capable of instigating public unrest and breach of public peace.
“The advertisement is considered blackmail against the Nigerian Judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and particularly the Honourable Justices of the Tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is currently just pendis.”
He however added that the Council would set up a committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the “erroneous approval” of one of the concepts of the advert and the breach of the vetting guidelines.
“Consequently, the Director and Deputy Director, Regulations have also been suspended. The suspension is to enable an unprejudiced investigation of the issue. The Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) Secretariat failing to diligently exercise its function as the gatekeeper of advertising, advertisement, and marketing communications is hereby dissolved,” he added.
It would be recalled that the ‘All Eyes on the Judiciary” narrative started as a social media campaign by the supporters of the 2023 Presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, who believe that the Presidential election Pannel is working to ensure the outcome of the tribunal, favours the candidate of the party in power.
