The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Prof. Mahmoud Yakubu on Wednesday said the Commission will continue to welcome suggestions that will improve the future conduct of elections and the electoral process in Nigeria.

Prof. Yakubu who disclosed this at a meeting with the media on the review of the 2023 general election said it was the sixth in the series of meetings held by the Commission in the last three weeks to review the election.

“You remain one of our critical stakeholders. Beyond voter and civic education, we regularly consult you ahead of the formulation of policies or the implementation of activities”,the INEC boss reminded the media executives stressing that :”beyond reporting on our activities, we are also convinced that as citizens you should be part of the discussion for the overall improvement of our electoral process based on your field observations”.

He said the Commission would like to hear the observation and suggestions from the media on the processes and procedure for Accreditation of media organisations,Access for journalists to voting and collation locations on Election Day , Conduct of pre-election activities by the Commission: Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), voter access to polling units etc and Logistics for the movement of personnel and materials

Other areas are; recruitment and training of ad-hoc staff, conduct of regular and ad hoc officials during the election, Security during the election, the role of technology in voter accreditation and result management; and any other suggestions that will improve the conduct of future elections.

“It is therefore our expectation that you will share your field experiences candidly. We would like to hear from you what the Commission can do to improve future elections in Nigeria”, he said.

Responding, President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists(NUJ), Comrade Chris Isiguzo said the review meeting was an invaluable opportunity for introspection and improvement.

“As President of the NUJ, I urge each one of you to seize this moment to contribute thoughtfully, honestly, and constructively. Our collective efforts will shape the future of media involvement in Nigeria’s electoral process and, by extension, the health of our democracy”, Comrade Isiguzo stressed.

He urged media practitioners at the meeting to focus attention on four key areas that have shaped the electoral process:accreditation of Media Organizations and Personnel,Coverage of the Election by Mainstream, Social, and Online Media,Public Enlightenment and Voter Education and Access to Media; Reportage; Hate Speech; and Fake News.