Democracy: INEC Tasks Media on Building Public Confidence Through Effective Reportage

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on the media to leverage their reportage to build public confidence and strengthen Nigeria’s democracy.
The National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mallam Kudu Haruna, made the call at a forum for media executives, producers, and reporters ahead of the February 21 Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Area Council Election.

Mallam Kudu Haruna, who identified voter apathy as one of the major challenges confronting democratic governance in the country, urged the media to educate citizens on the importance of full participation in the electoral process.
He stated that INEC was making adequate preparations for the FCT Area Council Election, noting that it would be the first election to be conducted following the review of the 2022 Electoral Act, which extended the tenure of local government administrations from three to four years.
According to him, political party agents, security agencies, observers, and other stakeholders, including the media, would be invited to witness the receipt of sensitive election materials ahead of their distribution to the various area councils on February 18.
The National Commissioner disclosed that all 3,313 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines were currently being configured for the polls, adding that training had been conducted for INEC officials, ad-hoc staff, security personnel, and other stakeholders.
Also speaking, the FCT Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mallam Aminu Idris, said the forum was organised to ensure that the media had a comprehensive understanding of election rules, guidelines, the Electoral Act, and the Constitution for accurate and professional election reportage.
He urged journalists to adhere strictly to the ethics of the profession and provide the public with quality and credible information in the discharge of their duties.
Mallam Idris further disclosed that additional Registration Area Centres would be established in the Abuja Municipal Area Council and Bwari Area Council to ease congestion and ensure a smooth voting process.
In her remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Comrade Grace Ike, appealed to INEC to ensure timely dissemination of information to boost public confidence in the electoral process.
Comrade Ike emphasised that the union would not tolerate any form of intimidation or harassment of journalists in the course of their duties and called on all stakeholders to guarantee the safety of media practitioners before, during, and after the election.
She also stressed the need for journalists to report responsibly and avoid misinformation and disinformation.
Other experts at the forum delivered lectures on essential tools for enhancing effective information dissemination during the election.