Ahead the governorship election in Anambra State in November 8, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged the media practitioners on the appropriate reporting of the election.
Represented by his deputy at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja, Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mr. Sam Okumekun made the call at a forum for media executives, reporters, producers and on-air-personalities with the commission’s heads of department in Anambra State yesterday.
He pleaded with the media to be proactive to ensure that the truth about the conduct of the governorship election ran faster than falsehood and misinformation.
He identified fake news and misinformation as the biggest threats to electoral integrity.
Urging media practitioners to always verify every news item before reporting, the IVEC warned “False stories, manipulated videos, and, unverified claims can create unnecessary tension and erode public trust”.
Okumekun assured the preparedness of the commission to conduct a free, fair and credible governorship election, adding that the exercise would be all inclusive to guarantee that no eligible voter was disenfranchised.
The resident electoral commissioner (INEC), Queen Elizabeth Agwu in her opening remarks said that the commission had enjoyed tremendous co-operation of the media in the state.
She pointed out that there were instances the media drew the commission’s attention to electoral malpractices and in that way helped the commission to correct such issues, adding also that there were instances the media misreported the commission and when corrected mitigated the misinformation.
Heads of legal and technological innovation of the commission in Anambra State, Mrs Olachi Nwugo and Nnaji Chukwuemeka, as well as their electoral operations counterpart, Mr. Ejikeme Ejimofor in their separate lectures highlighted various provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended) that would be religiously applied in the conduct of the polls to ensure a credible outcome.
Mrs Nwugo for instance warned that “vote-buying and sale” is a serious electoral offence punishable under the electoral act, and, tasked security operatives to make sure that anyone who indulged in the act was arrested for prosecution by the commission.
Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in the state, Comrade Emeka Odogwu, represented by the secretary, Dr. Okechukwu Onuegbu commended INEC for organising the forum, and, promised the readiness of the union to collaborate with the commission in sensitising critical stakeholders on issues that require proper education about the commission’s activities.
