Tinubu Referring Opposition Parties as "Jackals, Dead Fish Termites" Runs Against Electoral Law

Bola Tinubu, the All Progressives Congress's (APC) presidential candidate, might have broken the law by disparaging his rivals during the campaign, according to the 2022 Electoral Act.

The former governor of Lagos State had used derogatory language to describe opposition parties and candidates, calling the parties and candidates "jackals, termites, and dead fish" during the official flag of the presidential campaign of the party on Tuesday in Jos, Plateau State, which was attended by President Muhammadu Buhari and other top party members.

At the event, Tinubu urged the crowd to abstain from voting for members of the opposing parties.

Section 92 of the Electoral Act states that (1) “A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.

“(2) Abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions shall not be employed or used in political campaigns.”

As punishments for violating those provisions, the Act provides in section (7) that “A political party, aspirant or candidate that contravenes any of the provisions of this section commits an offence and is liable on conviction— (a) in the case of an aspirant or candidate, to a maximum fine of N1,000,000 or imprisonment for a term of 12 months; and

“(b) in the case of a political party, to a fine of N2,000,000 in the first instance, and N1,000,000 for any subsequent offence.”

Tinubu, who mounted the podium alongside his Vice Presidential Candidate, Kashim Shettima, from Borno State, asked voters to reject “Jackass, looters; we will never again surrender to them (Nigeria) to reverse the progress, opportunity for electricity to industrialise our country.

“We will never choose the poor development party, PDP, to a progressive, forward-looking party, APC.”

He derided the PDP again saying, “Tear, tear umbrella. You have to sweep them clean.

“Get rid of the geckos. We will be there,” in an apparent reference to winning the 2023 presidential election.

He said the opposition “are termites,” who should not be allowed into government again.

“They (PDP) want to come back. Just tell them that dead fish cannot be sweet in any soup,” with reference to the bid by the PDP to return to Aso Rock after being ousted in 2015 and defeated in 2019 respectively.

The former Lagos State governor had similarly used derogatory words in Osun State during the APC’s governorship election campaign in August. He had said, “Don’t mind PDP and other mushroom parties — parties like Labour; they will labour till they die. God will not make you labourers.”

In September, the National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu, warned that “A political campaign or slogan shall not be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly” and shall not be “Abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language” as it runs counter to the Electoral Act, 2022 as amended.