FG dissolves Advertising Standard Panel over ‘all eyes on the judiciary’ billboards

The Federal Government has disbanded the Secretariat of the Advertising Standard Panel (ASP). The decision is linked to its approval of the billboard titled, ‘All Eyes on The Judiciary’ which allegedly blackm@ils the Presidential Election Petition Tribunal.

The Director-General of the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON) Dr. Olalekan Fadolapo, disclosed the dissolution of the Panel in a statement released on Tuesday. Fadolapo said the Council has also suspended its Director and Deputy Director in charge of Regulations to allow investigations into the issue.

While noting that some of the adverts were not approved by the ASP, he said the Panel erred in the approval of one of the concepts as the advertisement failed vetting guidelines. 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 ARCON DG said the Council would set up a committee to investigate the circumstances leading to the “erroneous approval” of one of the concepts of the advert and the breach of the vetting guidelines.

The ‘All Eyes on the Judiciary” narrative started as a social media campaign by the supporters of the Presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the last Presidential election, Peter Obi.

The campaigners are alleging plans by the judiciary to favour the incumbent President Bola Tinubu.