The Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room has convened an advocacy meeting with the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), in Abuja to discuss issues bordering on electoral integrity in Nigeria.
The meeting is to foster deeper understanding of election credibility, raise public awareness, and strengthen advocacy efforts for reform in Nigeria’s electoral processes.
The Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Zakari Ya’u said the convergence is an avenue to discuss issues which are critical to the consolidation of democracy in Nigeria.
Support during election
He said that journalists are critical stakeholders whose reports avail citizens the information to examine, utilise and make choices on which party and candidate to support during election days.
NUJ National President, Alhassan Yahaya, speaking, condemned the intimidation of the journalists and urged security agencies to hold culpable officers accountable.
Panel Discussants interrogating observed credibility issues in recent elections and what the media can do to promote electoral integrity and accountability, decrying the persistent attack on journalists and the failure of the security agencies to bring perpetrators to justice.
They identified poor internal party democracy, and inconsistencies and unreliability of the Nigeria’s voter register resulting in electoral infringement, including vote buying and result manipulation, as some of the factors that undermine public confidence in the nation’s democratic process.
Ethical reporting standards
Participants in their observations raised concerns on Political influence in media ownership, reaffirming the necessity for adherence to ethical reporting standards to ensure balanced and fact-based election coverage.
They called for credibility in the nomination and screening processes into the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State Independent Electoral Commissions (SIECs), and the total Independence of INEC and SIECs.
The proliferation of misinformation and fake news, particularly on digital platforms by political actors and influencers, which misleads voters, create confusion and discordance among the citizens was also spotlighted.
Election credibility
In a communique signed by the Convener, Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room, Zakari Ya’u, and the National President, the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) Alhassan Yahaya, the meeting resolved that the media should hold government officials accountable, as enshrined in Section 22 of the 1999 Constitution through sustained reportage on election credibility, investigative reporting, advocating for policy reforms, and collaborating with civil society groups to enhance voter education and civic engagement.
Mandated the President Bola Tinubu to ensure INEC’s independence by avoiding nominations of politically exposed persons and safeguarding the commission and Judiciary from external influences.
Vetting process
The National Assembly was urged to consider civil society and media opinions, prioritise electoral reforms, unbundle INEC, transfer voter education to the National Orientation Agency, expedite the Election Offences Commission Bill, improve the vetting process for INEC nominees, and mandate immediate electronic transmission of election results.
INEC was charged to prioritise transparency and accountability by publishing details of electoral malpractices, financial allocations, expenditure, and procurement processes on its website.
Additionally, INEC should diligently regulate political parties, ensuring timely submission and publication of campaign finance reports.
The meeting implored the Nigerian Police Force to investigate and prosecute attacks on journalists during the 2023 elections and collaborate with the media to prevent future incidents, while eliminating militarisation of elections and foster collaboration between security agencies and the media to prevent attacks and intimidation.
Lateefah Ibrahim
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