…claims it’s blackmail against Nigerian Judiciary
By Akubulu Ngozi
Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, ARCON, has recently striked out the trending billboard advertisement with the inscription, “All eyes on the Judiciary”.
The Body through the Director-General of ARCON, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, publicly made this known in a statement published on Tuesday.
According to him, the advertisement is perceived to be blackmailing the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, PEPT and as such, capable of inciting public unrest and breach of public peace.
The statement reads, “The attention of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeriə ARCON has been drawn to the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” advertisements exposed on some billboards across the country.
“The Advertising Standards Panel of the Council also erred in the approval of one of the concepts as the advertisement failed to vet 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.
“The advertisement is controversial and capable of instigating public unrest and breach of public peace. The advertisement is considered blackmail against the Nigerian Judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and particularly the Honorable Justices of the Tribunal who are expected to discharge their judicial functions without fear or favour over a matter that is currently just pendis.”
