The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) in Edo issued a warning to political parties and their aspirants on Friday, urging them to remove campaign billboards, posters, and broadcast jingles from television and radio stations across the state.

INEC emphasized that the ban on election campaigns remains in place and has not been lifted.

Anugbum Onuoha, the State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), made this announcement during an Inter-agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES) meeting held in Benin.

The meeting, co-chaired by the state INEC REC and the state Commissioner of Police, Funso Adegboye, was attended by heads of various security agencies in the state.

Speaking further, Onuoha said, “if you look at the Edo election timetable, it says that the commencement of the campaign in public by political parties will be on April 24.

But what is happening in this state right now is that all the political parties are campaigning in public, not private.

“If you go round the town, you see campaign billboards, posters and jingles of aspirants, not even candidates.

“We have held a meeting with the Inter-Party Advisory Council Nigeria (IPAC) in Edo on this issue, but they have clearly not stopped.

“So I thought I should bring the issue here for us to proffer collective solutions so that nobody will be accused of supporting party A or B,” he said.

“We are going to hold a press conference to inform the general public and the political parties that what is happening is in total violation of the electoral law.

“And INEC will not fail to sanction any party which goes ahead to campaign after the warning,” he added.

Also speaking, the co-chair of ICCES and Adegboye, also emphasised the need for political parties to play by the rules.

Adegboye urged the National Orientation Agency (NOA) to be alive to its responsibility by carrying out enlightenment campaigns on election matters to make their work easier.

“NOA, please educate the people and let them know that there will be sanctions for people who engage in election violence and those who go against the electoral law.

“I have read the electoral law, and our job has been made much easier. So we know what to do.

“Before the election proper, we also have a duty to ensure that people do not disrupt the party primaries.

“On the campaigns that have started in the state, we should all ensure that we call the political parties and their aspirants to order,” he said.

According to him, those campaign billboards, posters, and jingles should be pulled down since it is not time for campaigns.