2027 General Election: ARCON Reads Riot Act To Politicians, Ad Agencies Over Unapproved Political Adverts, Threatens Prosecution
The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has issued a strongly-worded public warning to politicians, political parties, advertisement agencies, media owners, and political support groups, directing them to immediately halt the exposure of unapproved political advertisements or face prosecution under the ARCON Act.
The warning, contained in a press statement signed by ARCON’s Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, comes as electioneering activities for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections begin to gain momentum across the country, with political actors increasingly flooding traditional and digital media platforms with campaign materials, many of which the regulator says have not received the required prior approval.
In the statement, ARCON disclosed that its attention had been drawn to a rising wave of unapproved political advertisements being circulated by politicians, political parties, and their support groups, some of which the Council says have been found to violate both religious and ethnic guidelines enshrined in the Nigerian Code of Advertising.
ARCON enjoined all stakeholders including politicians, political parties, advertisement agencies, political campaign organisations, political support groups, and media space owners to ensure that all advertising, advertisement, and marketing communication activities are conducted in full alignment with the Nigerian Advertising Law and other relevant extant laws.
“As political campaign activities and voters’ education have commenced in earnest towards the next general election, politicians, political parties, advertisement agencies, political support groups, and stakeholders are enjoined to exercise caution and ensure that all advertising, advertisement, and marketing communication activities are done in alignment with the Nigerian Advertising Law and other relevant extant laws,” the statement read.
ARCON’s directive references Section 34(3) of the ARCON Act, which makes it a criminal offence to expose any advertisement whether on traditional or online media platforms without obtaining prior approval from the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP). The Panel, which functions as ARCON’s vetting and pre-clearance body, is the statutory gateway through which all advertising content must pass before public exposure.
Going beyond a warning, the Council’s statement issued a direct cease-and-desist directive to all relevant actors. “All political parties, elective political office aspirants, political campaign organisations, advertisement agencies, and media space owners are hereby advised to immediately cease and desist from exposing advertisements without prior approval of the Advertising Standards Panel as required by the ARCON Act,” the statement declared.
Nationwide Enforcement Exercise Imminent
As part of moves to further enforce this, the Council stated that it will, in collaboration with other relevant law enforcement agencies, immediately commence a nationwide enforcement exercise targeted at removing all political advertisements that were exposed without prior approval.
In its most forceful provision, ARCON’s statement made clear that regulatory removal is only one dimension of the consequences awaiting offenders. The Council stated that it “will further seek to prosecute any person or body corporate who sponsors, causes to be exposed, exposes, or takes benefit of political advertising, advertisement, or marketing communication without approval of the Advertising Standards Panel.”
Today’s press statement is the latest in a series of assertive regulatory interventions by ARCON under the leadership of Dr. Fadolapo, who has used the platform of the office to firmly delineate the boundaries of advertising regulation in Nigeria, particularly as the 2027 election cycle draws closer.
Earlier in February 2026, ARCON fired a stern warning at state signage and advertising agencies particularly those of Ondo and Enugu States over directives that required advertisers and practitioners to submit political, gaming, lottery, and brand advertisements for vetting before exposure. ARCON had declared those directives “unlawful and ultra vires” the powers of any state advertising or signage regulatory agency.
