APCON engages advertising stakeholders on political campaigns
As Nigeria draws close to another potentially heated political campaign season, the Advertising Practitioners Council of Nigeria (APCON) in collaboration with the Advertising Practitioners Association Abuja Chapter (APAAC) has concluded plans to hold a Stakeholders Forum on Political Communication with the theme: ‘Ethical Advertising And Communication: A Tool For Enhancing Peace And Political Stability’.
The Acting Registrar/Chief Executive, Mrs. Ijedi Iyoha, rpa, said today in Lagos that the forum is organized in anticipation of commencement of campaigns for the 2019 general elections and aims at discussing critical issues around the management of electioneering campaign communication and to highlight the rules of engagement applicable to the development and deployment of such communication.
She added that “the tendency of political candidates and their supporters to abuse their freedom of speech and engage in spurious promotional campaigns that exploit consumers and the public, and sometimes undermine societal harmony and well-being has made it most expedient to bring all stakeholders together under one platform. She appeals to election candidates and their supporters, political advertising consultants and owners/managers of mass media organizations to exercise restraint and comply with relevant laws and regulations on political advertising especially during this critical period leading to the 2019 general elections”.
The one day forum scheduled for Thursday, October 11, 2018, at the International Conference Centre, Abuja, according to the statement is pertinent to the smooth and healthy operation of our nascent democratic process. The forum aims at ensuring that campaign communications are fair and truthful enough to aid democratic choice by the electorate and are devoid of any traits that could precipitate violent conflicts.
This forum is a follow up to an earlier warning by APCON to stakeholders to ensure that advertising rules are upheld during the campaign season. Iyoha handed down the warning at the 2018 AAAN Annual General Meeting (AGM) which held in Abeokuta.
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