Vicilook E-Political Campaign: Rules & Regulations for Use

Welcome to Vicilook E-Political Campaign! This platform is designed to foster transparent, engaging, and compliant digital political campaigns. By accessing or using the Vicilook E-Political Campaign feature, all users (including candidates, campaign teams, authorized institution representatives, and the general public) agree to abide by these Rules & Regulations. Failure to comply may result in content removal, page suspension, or account termination.

Our Commitment: Vicilook is committed to providing an online platform that supports democratic processes, encourages respectful dialogue, and adheres to applicable laws and institutional guidelines within the digital sphere.

I. General Rules for All Users and Campaigns (Applies to Non-Campus & Campus Online Campaigns)

1. Respectful Online Conduct: All users must engage respectfully within the digital environment. Harassment, threats, bullying, hate speech, defamation, or discriminatory language based on religion, ethnicity, tribe, gender, sexual orientation, disability, or any other protected characteristic is strictly prohibited in all online interactions and content.

1. Truthfulness & Misinformation (Digital Content):
   • Users must not post or share content that is false, misleading, or designed to deceive the public regarding candidates, elections, or electoral processes. This applies to all forms of digital content (text, images, videos, audio).
   • Disinformation, malinformation, and manipulated media (e.g., deepfakes designed to deceive) are strictly prohibited.
   • Vicilook reserves the right to remove content identified as false or misleading by reputable fact-checking organizations or official electoral bodies.
2. Intellectual Property (Digital Assets): Users must respect copyrights and intellectual property rights. Do not upload or share digital content (text, images, videos, audio) for which you do not have the necessary online usage rights or permissions.
3. Privacy & Data Protection (Online Data):
   • Do not share personal information of others online without their explicit consent.
   • All data collected and processed by Vicilook will comply with the Nigeria Data Protection Act (NDPA) and Vicilook’s Privacy Policy. Users’ personal data will be handled with utmost care and used only for the purposes outlined in our Privacy Policy, specifically for online platform operations.
   • Campaigns must respect the privacy of individuals and not misuse any data obtained via the platform or other online means.
4. Prohibition of Online Incitement: Content that incites violence, public disorder, or hatred against any individual or group through digital means is strictly prohibited.
5. No Online Impersonation: Users must not impersonate any individual, candidate, political party, electoral official, or institution online.
6. Spam & Automated Activity: Automated posting, spamming, phishing attempts, or any other malicious or disruptive activities on the platform are not allowed.
7. Reporting Online Violations: Users are encouraged to report any content or behavior that violates these Rules & Regulations via the designated online reporting mechanism on the platform.
8. Vicilook’s Discretion: Vicilook reserves the right to interpret and enforce these rules at its sole discretion, and to remove online content or suspend accounts that violate these guidelines, without prior notice.

II. Specific Rules for Non-Campus Political Campaigns (Local Gov, State, Federal – Online Only)

These rules are informed by the Electoral Act 2022 (as amended) and general electoral best practices in Nigeria, adapted for an exclusively online environment.

1. Self-Service Page Creation:
   • Registered political parties or officially recognized individual candidates (for non-party-based elections) may create and manage their own ‘Vicilook E-Political Campaign’ pages online.
   • Page creators must verify their identity and online affiliation with the respective political party or candidature.
2. Online Campaign Period Adherence:
   • Online campaigns on Vicilook must strictly adhere to the official campaign period stipulated by the relevant electoral body (e.g., commence 150 days before polling day and end 24 hours prior to polling day, as per the Electoral Act 2022 for general elections).
   • Campaign pages must cease active online campaigning, promotion, and new content publication within the “24 hours preceding or on polling day” blackout period. Pre-scheduled online posts for this period are prohibited.
3. Prohibited Online Campaign Content & Conduct:
   • No Online Incitement based on Religion, Tribe, Section: Online campaigns must not be based on religious, tribal, or sectional reasons for the purpose of promoting or opposing a candidate.
   • No Abusive Online Language: The use of abusive language in any digital format that is likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal, or sectional feelings is prohibited.
   • No Online Promotion of Prohibited Activities: The platform prohibits any content that promotes or glorifies the use of private security organizations, threats of violence, or possession of offensive weapons.
   • No Online Defamation: Publication of false statements, rumors, or defamatory content against other candidates or parties through the platform is strictly prohibited.
   • No Online Incumbency Abuse: Campaigns must not utilize state apparatus or public resources for undue online advantage. Vicilook’s role here is to prohibit such content if it features on the platform.
4. Campaign Finance (Platform’s Role in Online Context):
   • While Vicilook does not directly manage campaign funds, candidates using the platform are reminded that they must comply with all national laws regarding campaign finance, including contribution limits and disclosure requirements, particularly as they relate to online fundraising or digital advertising.
   • Vicilook’s features allowing endorsements or “likely vote” indications are for sentiment gauging and public engagement, and do not constitute financial contributions.
5. Direction to Official Online Sources:
   • Campaign pages must clearly direct users to the official website of the relevant electoral body for critical election-related information (e.g., voter registration, PVC collection, polling unit locations, official election results).
   • Vicilook pages are for online campaigning and information sharing, NOT for actual voting or registration.

III. Specific Rules for Campus Political Campaigns (Institution-Approved Model – Online Only)

These rules reflect the centralized control model to ensure academic integrity and a structured election process within an exclusively online environment.

1. Institution-Approved Online Page Creation ONLY:
   • Student candidates are strictly prohibited from creating their own ‘Vicilook E-Political Campaign’ pages.
   • All campaign pages for campus elections must be created and managed solely by an authorized representative (e.g., “The Vicilooker,” a staff member from Student Affairs, or a designated Electoral Committee member) appointed and authorized by the College/University Authority. This ensures all online campaigns align with the institution’s specific electoral guidelines and vetting processes.
2. Candidate Submission of Digital Content:
   • Student candidates must submit all their campaign content (manifesto, biography, multimedia, event schedules, etc.) directly to the authorized representative for review and online publication on their respective campaign pages.
   • The authorized representative reserves the right to edit, approve, or reject digital content based on institutional policies.
3. Adherence to Institutional Online Electoral Guidelines:
   • All content and activities displayed on campus campaign pages must strictly conform to the specific rules and regulations set forth by the College/University’s electoral committee, student affairs department, or overall administration, specifically as they apply to online conduct. This includes, but is not limited to:
     • Online Campaign Periods: Adherence to official online campaign start and end dates stipulated by the institution.
     • Digital Content Restrictions: Prohibition of online content deemed inappropriate, inflammatory, academically dishonest, or violating the institution’s code of conduct.
     • Online Event Promotion: Any promotion of online meetings or virtual events must adhere to institutional policies on digital event hosting.
4. Official Online Voting Information:
   • Campaign pages will display election dates and provide clear instructions and links to the institution’s official online voting mechanisms (e.g., campus e-voting portal) as provided by the authorized representative. Vicilook does not host the actual voting.
5. Moderation of Online Comments:
   • While public commentary is allowed, the authorized representative for campus campaigns will have enhanced moderation capabilities to ensure online discussions remain constructive, respectful, and compliant with institutional policies.

IV. Enforcement & Consequences

Vicilook takes these Rules & Regulations seriously. Violations may lead to:

• Immediate removal of violating online content.
• Temporary suspension of campaign pages or user accounts.
• Permanent termination of campaign pages or user accounts.
• Reporting of severe violations to relevant electoral bodies (for non-campus campaigns) or institutional authorities (for campus campaigns).
• Legal action where applicable, in accordance with Nigerian law.

By using Vicilook E-Political Campaign, you contribute to a more informed, transparent, and respectful democratic process in the digital age.