All Eyes on Judiciary: FG dissolves Advertising Standard Panel over billboards

The Federal Government has dissolved the Secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP).

Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, in a statement on Tuesday, said the decision followed the approval of billboards titled “All Eyes on The Judiciary”.

Fadolapo said the Council has also suspended the ASP Director and Deputy Director in charge of Regulations.

The ASP is the Statutory Panel under the Council, charged with the duty of ensuring that advertisements conform to the prevailing laws of the Federation, as well as the Code of advertising ethics of the Advertising profession.

The statement read: “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 juspendis.

“A matter being juspendis and awaiting judicial pronouncement is, by virtue of the Nigerian legal system, precluded from being a subject of public statement, debate, discussion, advertisement, etc.

“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 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.

“Consequently, the Director and Deputy Director, Regulations have also been suspended. The suspension is to enable an unprejudiced investigation of the issue.

“The Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) Secretariat failing to diligently exercise its function as the gatekeeper of advertising, advertisement, and marketing communications is hereby dissolved.”