In a recent development, the Secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel has been disbanded by the Federal Government due to its involvement in endorsing billboards that have been accused of attempting to manipulate the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal with the slogan: ‘All Eyes on The Judiciary.’

Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria, issued a statement on Tuesday conveying the dissolution of the Panel. The Advertising Standards Panel (ASP), which operates as a Statutory Panel within the Council, is responsible for ensuring that advertisements adhere to the laws of the Federation and the Code of Ethics for advertising professionals.

Citing the reasons behind the disapproval of the advertisement, the Director-General stated:

“The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria has taken note of the ‘All Eyes on the Judiciary’ advertisements that have appeared on billboards across the nation. These concepts were not endorsed by the Advertising Standards Panel, thus the Council has instructed the immediate removal of all displayed materials and the penalization of those responsible.

The Council also acknowledged an error in approving one of the concepts for the advertisement, as it failed to adhere to vetting guidelines due to the following reasons:

• The campaign’s core theme concerns a matter currently under consideration by the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, thus making it jus pendis.
• As per the Nigerian legal system, matters that are jus pendis and awaiting judicial judgment cannot be subjects of public discussions, debates, statements, or advertisements.
• The advertisement possesses a controversial nature and has the potential to incite public unrest and disrupt public peace.
• The advertisement can be perceived as an attempt to blackmail the Nigerian Judiciary, the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal, and particularly the Honorable Justices overseeing the case, who are obligated to carry out their judicial duties impartially, regardless of the current status of the matter.

In light of this, the Council has temporarily suspended its Director and Deputy Director responsible for Regulations while an investigation into the matter is conducted.”

Fadolapo further mentioned that the Council will establish a committee to probe into the circumstances surrounding the “erroneous approval” of one of the concepts in the advertisement and the violation of vetting guidelines.

“Subsequently, the suspension of the Director and Deputy Director, Regulations, has been implemented to ensure an impartial investigation takes place.

The dissolution of the Advertising Standards Panel Secretariat stems from its failure to diligently carry out its role as the guardian of advertising, advertisements, and marketing communications,” he concluded.

Source: Punch