2027: Don’t Breach Electoral Act Provisions, Envoy Tells Journalists

Ahead of the general elections in 2027, the Ambassador of Nigeria to the Republic of South Africa, Senator Ita Enang, has said the country was committed to conducting credible polls, but warned that no section of the Electoral Act should be manipulated or violated to hoodwink the electorate.

He therefore charged media practitioners in Nigeria to ensure that their reportage of activities leading to the crucial polls aligns with the extant provisions of the electoral laws.

Enang gave the charge at the Annual Dinner and Award night, marking the conclusion of the weeklong activities of the Correspondents’ Chapel’s Week, which featured the unveiling of the Critique Magazine/launch of the N15 million solar-power facility at the State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Information Drive, Uyo.

The ambassador, who chaired the occasion, reminded journalists to imbibe the culture of professionalism as enshrined in the ethics, cautioning that practitioners have the duty of speaking truth to power and urged them to be in the vanguard of promoting and building democracy through reportage that shapes the ARISE Agenda legacy of Pastor Umo Eno’s administration.

He added that throughout his 16 years of representation in the National Assembly, he had worked tirelessly and was still working to align Akwa Ibom State with the federal government policies.

“In your reportage of politics and activities leading up to the 2027 electoral process, please read first the Electoral Act, and its provisions; let your reports be aligned with the position of the law, and according to the electoral laws of the land.

“Let every person have free access to the courts; let us jointly protect our democracy,” the envoy said, adding that he would not hesitate to head to the court if he felt that certain provisions of the electoral Act have been breached.

He therefore warned lawyers in the habit of manipulating and misinterpreting provisions of the Electoral Act to be ready for judicial confrontation, vowing he would not hesitate to go to court to challenge such anomalies.

“In those years at the National Assembly, we worked tirelessly to align Akwa state with the policies of the Federal Government. Through our politics and advocacy over our 16 years of political representation in the National Assembly, we aligned Akwa Ibom State with the federal government to the extent that the state is not just talking about the ARISE Agenda now, but also about ARISE With Renewed Hope Agenda,” he noted.

He also thanked the organisers for the event’s theme, “From Insight To Action: The Role of the Media in Shaping the Arise Agenda Legacy” of the state government.

The Correspondents’ Chapel chairman, Comrade Bassey Anthony, who welcomed the participants to the event, noted that their presence underscored the high regard they had for the media as partners in progress.

He said, “We do not take this for granted. Your presence is deeply appreciated. I also thank the NUJ and our colleagues from other chapels for their solidarity tonight.”

In his keynote address on the “Role of the Media in Shaping the Arise Agenda Legacy in Akwa Ibom State”, Dr Emmanuel Abraham, said that the media as an integral part of the ARISE Agenda, should transform it from a mere policy document into not only an inspiration but a life, lived, and living experiences for the government and the people of the state.

“By focusing on developmental journalism, the media should help to document and define a legacy centered on improved welfare, inclusive growth and strategic development sustained through agricultural revolution, rural development, infrastructural maintenance, security management and educational/health advancement.

The keynote speaker, who is founder/chairman, Board of Trustees, Topfaith Group of Schools and Topfaith University, Mkpatak in Akwa Ibom, also urged the press to transform the agenda from the jargon to the real prosperity agenda for the people of Akwa Ibom State.

“Overall, journalism in the ARISE Agenda should not only inform, entertain, and educate, but inspire,” Abraham said.