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Chief Electoral Commissioner Zainab Iyamide Joaque has issued a strong warning to SLAJ aspirants against campaigning before the stipulated timeframe. In an important notice to SLAJ members, issued on March 10, 2025, she emphasized the rules regarding the declaration of intent and campaigning.
The notice highlights that the SLAJ Electoral Commission (SLAJEC) has been closely monitoring their association’s various official social media platforms at the national and regional levels.
‘’ We would like to emphasize the importance of distinguishing between the declaration of intent to contest and campaigning’’
Declaration of Intent: This is a formal expression by a member indicating their desire to run for a position within the Association. It is a right afforded to every member and should be communicated clearly without any accompanying campaign messages, as stated by (SLAJEC)
Further adding, Campaigning: This involves actively promoting oneself or others for election, which includes soliciting votes or engaging in promotional activities.
‘’It is crucial that this phase does not begin until officially announced by the SLAJEC”.
SLAJEC also wants to inform the general body that the nomination process is still ongoing, and no individual has been certified as a candidate until all necessary procedures are completed. The Commission will formally declare any qualified member as a candidate once these processes are fulfilled.
Additionally, SLAJ members are advised to refrain from referring to individuals who have declared their intent for a certain position as “in waiting,” as the election is yet to be conducted and no winner has been declared.
We urge everyone to respect the decision of any member who declares their intent to be nominated and to avoid personal attacks against any member expressing their intent. Any reported violations will be thoroughly investigated and appropriate actions taken.
In conclusion, the SLAJEC advises members to refrain from campaigning, please refer to the Electoral Timeline for detailed guidelines regarding our processes.
‘’ To maintain the integrity of our electoral process, we urge all members to refrain from any form of campaigning in the official SLAJ national and regional WhatsApp groups, as well as on other social media platforms, until the Commission officially opens the campaign period.’’
