The Nigerian Presidency has courted controversy after using its official X handle to campaign for Monday Okpebholo, the All Progressives Congress (APC) candidate, ahead of the forthcoming Edo State governorship election.

Its campaign post from an official state communication channel is also at odds with Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act of 2022.

The contentious post from Saturday quoted Vice President Kashim Shettima during a political rally as he told voters to elect the APC candidate. Shettima’s words also linked Edo’s potential access to increased federal revenue allocation with an APC victory.

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“We all seek the same thing — a functional Edo State,” Shettima said. “With increased allocations to the states, your incoming government has more resources to bankroll programmes and projects that benefit you.”

The use of the state’s official communication channel is in contravention of legislations that encourage electoral fairness in Nigeria.

Section 95(2) of the Electoral Act of 2022, for instance, prohibits the use of state resources to benefit any political party or candidate.

The section states that:

State apparatus including the media shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.

This therefore means the vice president’s remarks, alongside the endorsement by the presidency’s official account, are a clear breach of this provision.

Public Reactions to the Post

Nigerians have been quick to express concerns about the misuse of the state’s official platforms for partisan campaign, following the publication of the contentious content on Saturday.

Jesufunmi, a Nigerian X user, was among those outraged by the post.

“See full state capture,” he commented. “Using the official president handle to do this nonsense. Nothing is sacred to you people, chai!”

Inibehe Effiong, human rights lawyer and social critic also added his voice, echoing similar sentiments to Jesutofunmi.

He said “this is despicable but not surprising. The APC has rubbished every institution in this country. Using official government handles for partisan campaigns is egregious. State capture in full force.”

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Another user, Chima Echefule, linked the action to broader abuse of public resources by the current administration. He said it was “another instance of the Tinubu Government abusing state property”.

More measured reactions, such as one from Jude Ekwedike, called for accountability: “Isn’t this the official X handle of the Presidency of the Federal Republic of Nigeria? I think it should be for state matters only. Every Nigerian owns this handle. It should never be used for political purposes. I would suggest you delete this post.”

Others, like Supreme Clerk, directly called for the firing of those responsible for managing the account. He labelled the act “irresponsible”.