The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has
dissolved its Advertising Standards Panel for approving billboards targeted at
the presidential election petition tribunal.
ARCON also ordered the destruction of several billboards
across the country with the title: “All Eyes on The Judiciary”.
In a statement on Tuesday, Olalekan Fadolapo, ARCON
director-general, said the advertisement failed to follow vetting guidelines
and is capable of breaching public peace.
“The concepts exposed were not approved by the Advertising
Standards Panel, hence, the council has directed that all the materials being
exposed be brought down immediately and the violators sanctioned,” Fadolapo
said.
“The Advertising
Standards Panel of the council also erred in the approval of one of the
concepts as the advertisement failed vetting guidelines on the following
grounds.
“The cause forming the central theme of the campaign in the
advertisement is a matter pending before the presidential election petition
tribunal. Hence, it’s jus pendis.
“A matter being jus pendis and awaiting judicial
pronouncement is, by virtue of the Nigerian legal system, precluded from being
a subject of public statement, debate, discussion, advertisement etc.
“The advertisement is
controversial and capable of instigating public unrest and breach of public
peace.
“The advertisement is considered a blackmail against the
Nigerian judiciary, the presidential election petition tribunal and
particularly the honourable justices of the tribunal who are expected to
discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is
currently jus pendis.
“The Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) Secretariat failing
to diligently exercise its function as the gatekeeper of advertising,
advertisement and marketing communications is hereby dissolved.”
The council further suspended the director and deputy
director of regulations, pending the conclusion of investigations.
“The council will set
up a committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the erroneous
approval of one of the concepts of the inappropriate advert and the breach of
the vetting guidelines,” Fadolapo said.
“Consequently, the director and deputy director, regulations
have also been suspended. The suspension is to enable unprejudiced
investigation of the issue.”
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