The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has dissolved the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) over the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” advertisements exposed on some billboards across the country.
The regulatory body also ordered the immediate removal of the materials across the billboards.
In a statement signed by its Director-General, Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo noted that the ASP failed to “diligently exercise its function as the gatekeeper of advertising, advertisement and marketing communications.
The statement read, “The attention of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has been drawn to the “All Eyes on the Judiciary” advertisements exposed on some billboards across the country.
“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.
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.
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2. 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.
3. The advertisement is controversial and capable of instigating public unrest and breach of public peace.
4. 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 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. Consequently, the Director and Deputy Director, Regulations have also been suspended. The suspension is to enable unprejudice investigation of the issue.”
