The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that the ban on political campaigning in Akwa Ibom State remains in force. Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, the state’s Resident Electoral Commissioner, Professor Anugbum Onuoha, said that most political parties in the state have already breached the prohibition by engaging in premature campaign activities.
Onuoha stressed that INEC will invoke all applicable provisions of the Electoral Act to prosecute any party that continues to violate the ban. “The commission will not tolerate campaigning in contravention of the law. All political actors must operate within the legal framework to ensure a peaceful and orderly electoral process,” he said.
The commissioner also reaffirmed INEE’s commitment to delivering credible, free and fair elections in the forthcoming 2027 poll.
In conjunction with the warning, Onuoha called on residents to take advantage of the third phase of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise, which ran from 11 May to 10 July across all 31 local government areas. So far, 163,635 Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) have been collected in the first two phases – 76,534 in the initial round and 87,101 in the second – figures that the commissioner described as “abysmal” given the state’s population and the number of registered voters.
He urged citizens who registered in 2011 but received defaced cards, as well as those who were under 18 at that time, to use the current window to obtain a valid PVC, while cautioning against double registration.
Onuoha warned that any form of electoral malpractice would be met with strict enforcement and called on all stakeholders to cooperate with INEC to safeguard the integrity of the voting process.
The commission’s message underscores its determination to enforce electoral regulations ahead of the 2027 elections and highlights the ongoing effort to expand voter registration in Akwa Ibom, a key step toward broader participation in Nigeria’s democratic exercise.
