Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, today reminded journalists of their sacred obligation to report factually and accurately about the Edo and Ondo State Governorship Elections, scheduled for 21st September and 16th November 2024 as well as all activities connected to them.
Speaking at the Commission’s quarterly meeting with the media in Abuja on Wednesday 31st July 2024, Prof. Yakubu urged media practioners to continue to be a “bulwark” against fake news, misinformation and disinformation, in compliance with the ethics of their noble profession.
The INEC Chairman also implored journalists to comply with the Nigerian Code of Election Coverage and the Commission’s Guidelines for Media Accreditation, available on the umpire’s website.
He reminded media organisations that the portal for media accreditation for the Edo State Governorship election, which opened on 8th July will automatically shut down on 5th September 2024.
His words: “
As the Edo State Governorship election approaches, I wish to remind media organisations that the portal for media accreditation – http://imap.inecnigeria.org – is still open. As at 8.02am today, Wednesday 31st July 2024, 24 media organisations representing print, radio, television and online have uploaded the details of 227 personnel for the election. I urge you to expedite action by ensuring that all interested media organisations submit their applications before the deadline of Thursday 5th September 2024. This will enable the Commission to produce and deliver the accreditation tags for your reporters, camera operators, technical and other support staff in good time for the election.”
Giving an update on preparations, Prof. Yakubu said the Commission has recovered from the severe flooding that occurred at the State headquarters in Benin city two months go. The damage inflicted on the physical infrastructure, movebale and immovable facilities, he affirmed, are being fixed and replaced. Additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines have also been delivered to the State for both the training of election duty staff as well contigency for election day support.
He continued: “We have once again published the final list of candidates in compliance with the recent Court Order mandating the Commission to replace the running mate to the candidate of the Labour Party. The amended list is already published on our website.
“Following the conclusion of the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR), the display of the register for claims and objections by citizens, and further data clean-up using the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), the final registers for the forthcoming Governorship elections are being finalised.
“Before the end of this week, the Commission will publish the final figures of new voters in the two States as well as their distribution by gender, age, occupation and disability. Thereafter, the timetable for the collection of uncollected Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) from previous registration, and new registrants from the latest CVR, will be published. Based on the information provided by the Commission, we look forward to your partnership in encouraging citizens to collect their PVCs.”
He also spoke on the ongoing campaigns in Edo and Ondo States, but he expressed concern about a recent incident in Benin-City which resulted in the death of security personnel.
He however assured the media executives that security in Edo and Ondo States will be a major issue for deliberation at the Inter Agency Cosultative on Election Security (ICCES) meeting scheduled for Friday 2nd August 2024.
“We are as concerned about the safety of your personnel and equipment just as we are about the security of our own officials, observers, service providers and, above all, the voters,” he said. “We will also work with the security agencies to ensure that accredited journalists are granted unimpeded access to all voting and collation locations.”
Responding, President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Chris Isiguzo, commended INEC for its commitment to transparency and accountability in the electoral process through its constant engagement with the Media, stressing that the synergy between INEC and the Media was crucial as the off-season election approaches.
The NUJ President added his voice to the call for an amendment to the relevant sections of the 1999 Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria and the Electoral Act 2022 to empower INEC to conduct Local Government elections across the country.
He declared: “The proposal to create an Independent Local Government Electoral Commission is, in my view, unnecessary. Establishing a separate body for local government elections could lead to redundancy, increased bureaucracy, and potential conflicts of interest. Instead, leveraging INEC’s established framework, experience, and resources would be a more efficient and effective approach to managing local government elections.”
