By Uthman Baba-Naseer, Minna
The Judiciary Staff Union of Nigeria (JUSUN), Niger State Branch, has unveiled the guidelines and code of conduct for its forthcoming branch election, warning aspirants and their supporters against vote buying, violence and other forms of electoral misconduct.
The Branch Electoral Committee (BEC) said only financial members of the union who meet the eligibility requirements contained in the JUSUN Constitution and the approved Election Guidelines would be allowed to purchase and submit nomination forms.
According to the committee, obtaining and submitting a nomination form does not automatically qualify an aspirant to contest the election, as all contestants will undergo a screening process. It added that the final decision on qualification rests with the National Returning Officers in line with the union’s constitution.
The committee also stated that it reserves the right to verify the eligibility of every aspirant, stressing that all decisions would be guided strictly by the provisions of the JUSUN Constitution and the approved Election Guidelines.
To ensure a peaceful and credible election, the BEC directed all aspirants to conduct their campaigns responsibly and in accordance with the constitution, election guidelines and other applicable laws.
It warned against violence, intimidation, harassment, blackmail, vote buying and the use of money, gifts or any form of inducement to influence the outcome of the election.
The committee further prohibited false publications, malicious rumours, character assassination and the dissemination of misleading information against any aspirant or union member, urging contestants to focus their campaigns on their programmes, competence and vision rather than personal attacks.
According to the election timetable, campaign activities will commence on 10 July and end at 11:59 p.m. on 16 July 2026. No campaign activities will be permitted on 17 July, the day before the election, or on Election Day.
The BEC also directed that court premises and official working hours must not be used for campaign activities to avoid disrupting judicial operations and official duties.
It urged all aspirants and their supporters to comply with directives issued by election officials on Election Day and advised contestants to accept the outcome of the election, while making use of the dispute resolution mechanisms provided under the JUSUN Constitution where necessary.
The committee warned that any violation of the code of conduct could attract sanctions ranging from warnings and suspension of campaign activities to disqualification or referral to the appropriate disciplinary body.
In the statement signed by Aliyu Audu, a member of the Branch Electoral Committee, the BEC noted that by obtaining and submitting a nomination form, every aspirant is deemed to have accepted and agreed to abide by the election guidelines and code of conduct.
