ARCON Directs Removal of Controversial Billboards “All Eyes on the Judiciary” Ahead of PEPT Verdict

The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has issued an order for the immediate nationwide removal and destruction of billboards displaying the phrase “All eyes on the judiciary.”

Olalekan Fadolape, the Director General of ARCON, made this directive known through a statement on Tuesday.

According to Fadolape, the concept behind the billboards was not approved by the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), responsible for reviewing and approving advertising materials. As a result, ARCON has taken action to bring down all materials bearing this slogan and has also sanctioned the violators.

The decision to remove the billboards comes at a time of heightened anxiety in Nigeria as citizens await the judgement of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal (PEPT). The PEPT, composed of a five-member panel led by Justice Haruna Tsammani, has been considering petitions filed by presidential candidates including Atiku Abubakar of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) against President Bola Tinubu of the All Progressives Congress (APC) regarding the 2023 general election.

Although the PEPT has reserved its judgement, Fadolape’s statement revealed that the concept behind the controversial billboard was not in line with ARCON’s guidelines. He emphasized that the campaign’s central theme involving the judiciary was contentious and had the potential to incite public unrest and disrupt public peace.

Fadolape further expressed concern that the advertisement appeared to be an attempt to influence the Nigerian Judiciary and the PEPT’s proceedings. He described the advertisement as a form of blackmail against the judiciary and the justices presiding over the tribunal.

In addition to ordering the removal of the billboards, Fadolape also announced the dissolution of the ASP secretariat due to its perceived failure in upholding its responsibilities as a gatekeeper for advertising, advertisement, and marketing communication.