ARCON approved 298 Political ads for 2023 General elections
By Oghale Mafuru
With all electioneering campaign activities scheduled to end today ahead of Saturday polls, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON has disclosed that it vetted 298 advertisements of 16 political parties for the 2023 general elections.
According to a statement obtained from the office of the Director General of the apex advertising agency today, nine adverts from two of the major political parties, the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP and the All Progressive Party, APC were not approved by the agency.
These adverts comprise five (5) TVCs (Titled 3 Mandates by PDP), two radio adverts ( Tonye Cole and Asiwaju Bola Ahmed) and two TVCs by APC. It added that two TVCs were revised.
A breakdown of the adverts approved and the political parties shows that APC -120, PDP-94, LP-35, NNPP-8, APGA-4, Action Alliance-2, YPP-10, SDP-9, ADP-1, NRM-1, PRP-3, APP-2, ADC-5, Boot-1, APM-1, and Accord-2
Speaking exclusively to MARKETING EDGE, Dr. Olaekan Fadolapo, Director General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, stated that the apex advertising regulatory agency recorded an impressive compliance to the advertising law and stipulated guidelines for political marketing and communication this year adding that there were some infractions which were addressed by the agency in line with the advertising law.
He said: “The level of adherence to ARCON directive on compliance with the ARCON Act and the Nigerian Code of Advertising is quite commendable. We have seen an increased application for pre-exposure vetting and advertisers’ submission to the provisions stipulated by law regulating political advertising, advertisements, and marketing communications.
“The Council has, however, had to take down a few political advertisements that breached the law. Most of those that were taken down subsequently applied to the Standards Panel and followed the procedure as demanded by the Act and Code of Advertising Practice”.
While affirming that not all exposed political communication materials were vetted by the regulatory agency, the ARCON DG stated that the unregulated social media platforms have been utilized to propagate political messages without restraint which has resulted in the influx of unguarded political communications in the society.
“It will be incorrect to state that all political communications on-going at the moment passed through the Standards Panel pre-exposure vetting. Some of these communications, especially those exposed online and through social media, are done by the promoters with the intention to score cheap or worthless political points bereft of meaningful ideas. Political parties and aspirants usually dissociate themselves from such calumnious campaigns when brought to their attention” he said.
Recall that prior to the electioneering season, the Director General of the advertising regulatory body held stakeholders’ meetings across the six geopolitical zones of the country to discuss the need to adhere to all stipulated guidelines of advertising in political communication materials in the interest of peace and security of the country adding that the agency will remove all unapproved political communication materials effective from 5th December 2022.
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