ARCON Disbands Advertising Panel, Suspends Directors over ‘All Eyes on Judiciary’ Billboards

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The Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) has announced the dissolution of the secretariat of its vetting panel, the Advertising Standards Panel (ASP) for approving one of the concepts of the controversial ‘All Eyes on The Judiciary’ advert, that failed vetting guidelines.

ARCON also ordered the suspension of two directors; the Director, and Deputy Director (Regulations) “to enable unprejudice investigation of the issue.”

Dr Olalekan Fadolapo, the Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), made the Panel’s dissolution known in a statement released on Tuesday.

Dr Lekan Fadolapo also ordered the removal of all the concepts of the controversial advert, being exposed across the country.

Highlighting that not all of the advertisements were endorsed by the ASP, Fadolopo acknowledged an error in judgement concerning approving one of the concepts.

“This advertisement failed to adhere to the vetting guidelines set by the Panel.”

The ASP functions as a Statutory Panel under the Council’s purview, tasked with ensuring that advertisements comply with the laws of the Federation and adhere to the Code of Advertising Ethics in the profession.

The full statement titled “ALL EYES ON THE JUDICIARY” ADVERTISEMENT: DISSOLUTION OF THE ADVERTISING STANDARDS
PANEL (ASP) SECRETARIAT” reads:

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 bų 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:

1. The cause forming the central theme of the campaign in the advertisement is a matter pending before the
   Presidentiəl Election Petition Tribunal. Hence, it’s jus spendis.
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 overa matter that is currently juspendis.

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 upa 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.

StreetReporters.ng

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