To further strengthen and deepen working relationship between the media and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a one-day strategic media meeting held in Lagos on Friday with line Editors of major newspapers and broadcast media to intimate journalists with progress made over the years and preparations for the 2023 general elections. The strategic meeting,
To further strengthen and deepen working relationship between the media and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) a one-day strategic media meeting held in Lagos on Friday with line Editors of major newspapers and broadcast media to intimate journalists with progress made over the years and preparations for the 2023 general elections.
The strategic meeting, which was graced by the INEC chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voters Education Committee, Festus Okoye and other states’ Resident Electoral Commissioners provided an opportunity for journalists to ask questions on grey areas.
In his welcome remarks, the Lagos state Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mr Olusegun Agbaje acknowledged the essence of media in the electoral process. He noted that the media has access to information which is the health of democracy. He applauded the media for providing the public with the opportunity to make informed decisions at the polls.
He further urged the media to operate within the prevailing environment to create balanced engagement for public interaction about the electioneering process for the sustainability of democracy in the country.
“Suffice it to say that without the media, access to information which is very essential to the health of democracy would have been negatively impacted thereby making it difficult for the citizens to make responsible and informed choices.
“As the 2023 General Election is around the corner, that is 84 days away to be precise, the need for an interactive meeting with the Media such as this cannot be overemphasized.
“There is no gainsaying the fact that there is a very strong relationship between media performance and conduct or vibrancy of politics and political activities in a democracy.
“As politics serves as a route and means of uplifting the society through good governance, protection and advancement of citizens rights and creation of an enabling environment for democracy to thrive, the media on their part operate within the prevailing environment
“For democracy to thrive the media on their part must operate within the prevailing environment to engage the public sphere thereby expanding the frontier of freedom which enables the citizens to have access to quality information that will influence their judgments & decisions”, Agbaje said.
In his opening remarks, Festus Okoye, INEC commissioner for information and voter education, charged the media to be professional in their reportage.
He explained the complexity of election reporting and the need for media practitioners to be trained in the process.
He also advised the media to be conflict-sensitive in their reports, claiming that electoral matters are issues of national security which need to be kept consciousness, and the media must possess the understanding of this.
He further charged the media to ensure they always verify their information from the appropriate quarters in 2023.
“The media and media practitioners must have a basic understanding and working knowledge of the constitutive legal constitution regulatory usefulness that guides and underpin the work of the constitution.
” Journalists that report on elections and electoral processes must be conversant with the processes and the procedures of the Commission as well as the dynamics and play in the conduct of elections. In other words, the media must be aware and understand that preparation for elections, the conduct of elections and the resolution of elections principles are in a class of their own and cannot be discussed from a derelict point of view.
“The work of the commission and the conduct of electoral business have national security implications, which means reporting of elections needs to be handled with an eye of conflict sensitivity and national peace and cohesion” Festus Okoye said.
The electoral chairman, Mahmoud Yakubu, in his keynote address, highlighted the achievements of the Commission since electoral campaigns have begun. He expressed the satisfaction of the electoral umpire with the political parties and candidates travelling the length and breadth of the country. He noted the campaign process as “one of the advantages of the presidential system of government”
However, the INEC boss frowned at the violence, use of abusive statements and hate by the political parties. He stated the commission has tracked 52 cases of incendiary expression, political violence, and denial of access to public facilities for campaigns among other cases.
He noted that the violent conduct of political parties and their supporters are already making way for fatal incidents, in just two months out of five slated for political rallies and campaigns.
“We are in the critical phase of the 2023 election. We are in the middle of electioneering campaigns and the tempo will increase as the date of the elections draws nearer. Already there are signs of positive and negative mobilisation for the elections.
“On the positive side, parties and candidates are campaigning nationwide including some places where some of the candidates, in particular, have not visited for a long time, if at all.
“This is one of the advantages of the presidential system of government where a candidate is required to secure a majority of the votes cast nationwide and at least a quarter of votes cast in two-thirds of the country, which is 24 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
“It has to be so for a certain person to be declared president of Nigeria. And the same thing with governorship candidates, majority of votes in the state and at least a quarter of votes in all local government areas of the state.
“On the flip side, we have seen a lot of negative mobilisations and even violence. As of the 9th of November of the year, barely two months into the five months of campaign periods we tracked 52 incidents involving the use of abusive, inciting language, denial of access to public facilities of political parties for their campaigns, destruction of campaign materials, physical attacks resulting in fatalities. we also have cases of the destruction of INEC”, Mahmoud Yakubu said.
