A mammoth crowd at the Liberation Stadium for the rally. Eleven individuals died following a stampede.
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Mr Kayode Idowu, Chief Press Secretary to the Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has cautioned politicians against early campaign to avoid overheating the polity.
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Idowu made the call in an interview with on Monday in Lagos.
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He said that INEC had issued timetable which clearly indicated the timeline for commencing campaign by political parties and candidates in the country.
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According to him, the commission has repeatedly warned political players to always abide by the provision of the Electoral Act to ensure sanity in the political process.
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“We have issued a timetable to indicate the timeline for campaign. INEC has also repeatedly warned politicians on the need to play politics by the rule”, he said.
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He said that though INEC was not a law enforcement or security agency, it was however in a position to ask law enforcement agencies to help in enforcing laws on electioneering campaign.
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Idowu reiterated the determination of the commission to provide level playing ground to all political parties to ensure justice and fair play, with a view to enhancing citizens’ confidence in its activities.
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He tasked the media to be factual and objective in their reportage, adding that the use of the media to perpetrate partisan manipulation could affect the success of the INEC.
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Idowu, who said that INEC was making efforts to improve its activities, urged the media to join the commission for the realisation of free, fair and credible elections in the country.
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“If politicians succeed in getting the whole of the media to report a perception over and over, then of course, it is going to rub up on the image of the political process.
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He stressed the need for the media to have the capacity to independently interrogate the political process and be able to report on the basis of the interrogation.
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