INEC Chairman, Mahmood Yakubu
By JOHN ONAH, Abuja –
The Chairman Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has urged interested media organisations wishing to cover the Edo gubernatorial election to submit their applications before the deadline of Thursday 5th September 2024.
He made the call at the INEC Quarterly Consultative Meeting with the Media on Wednesday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
According to him, 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.
“As the Edo State Governorship approaches, I wish to remind media organisations that the portal for media accreditation (https://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”, he said.
“It is now 51 days to the Edo State Governorship election coming up on Saturday 21st September 2024. Our preparations are going on in earnest. I am glad to report that we have recovered from the torrential rainfall that resulted in the severe flooding of our State Headquarters in Benin City two months ago. The damage to the physical infrastructure as well as movable and immovable facilities are being fixed or replaced. We have delivered additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines to Edo State for the training of election duty personnel as well as contingency for Election Day support. 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”.
He further disclosed that 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 reminded journalists of their obligation to report factually and accurately about the election and electoral activities in compliance with the ethics of the noble profession.
“You should continue to be a bulwark against fake news, misinformation and disinformation. I urge you to fully comply with the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage. Similarly, you are required to comply with the INEC guidelines for media accreditation available on our website www.inecnigeria.org”, he added .
On his part, the National President of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Chris Isiguzo has emphasized the importance of granting the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) the authority to conduct local government elections. This call comes in light of the recent Supreme Court judgment granting full autonomy to local governments.
Isiguzo highlighted that for local government autonomy to be truly effective, constitutional amendments by the National Assembly are necessary. He argued that extending INEC’s authority to include local government elections would ensure uniformity, credibility, and efficiency in the electoral process. He criticized the proposal for an Independent Local Government Electoral Commission as unnecessary, potentially leading to redundancy and increased bureaucracy.
“I would also like to take this opportunity to weigh in on a significant recent development – the Supreme Court judgment which granted full autonomy to local government administrations. This landmark ruling is a major stride towards strengthening our democracy at the grassroots level. Local governments are the closest tier of government to the people, and their autonomy is crucial for effective governance and development.
“However, for this autonomy to be truly conclusive and impactful, there is a need for constitutional amendments by the National Assembly. Specifically, the relevant sections of the constitution should be amended to empower INEC to conduct elections for local governments across the country. Currently, INEC enjoys constitutional authority to conduct national and sub-national elections. Extending this authority to include the third tier of government will ensure uniformity, credibility, and efficiency in the electoral process.
“In light of this, 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” he stressed.
He commended INEC’s consistent efforts to engage with the media, acknowledging the commission’s commitment to transparency and accountability.
He underscored the media’s role as a bridge between INEC and the public, ensuring the dissemination of accurate information and transparency in electoral processes.
