INEC Seeks Media Partnership Ahead 2023 General Elections.
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Mahmood Yakubu on Thursday stated that conducting elections in Nigeria is a tedious task, calling on the media to synergise against fake news that could cause confusion.
The Chairman spoke at the 6th Annual Conference of the Guild Of Corporate Publishers (GOCOP) that also featured induction of 13 new members of GOCOP at Sheraton Hotel, Lagos.
At the conference themed “ 2023 Elections : Managing The Process For Credible Outcome”,Yakubu expressed joy and lauded the leadership of the Guild for the beauty of the conference.
“Let me discharge my first obligation by thanking the leadership as well as membership of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) for the invitation to speak on the auspicious occasion of your 6th Annual Conference”.
“Many of you here may recall that on 24th November 2021, we had a robust interactive meeting here in Lagos last year in response to your invitation to address you following the successful election of a new leadership of GOCOP chaired by Ms. Maureen Chigbo. As I said on that occasion”.
The INEC Chairman called for robust INEC/Media partnership to ensure the successful conduct of the 2023 general election and advance strong democratic Nigeria.
“INEC cherishes the support of the online media. We do not take our partnership with GOCOP for granted as a stakeholder and dependable ally in sustaining and deepening our democracy”
He reinstated the commitment of INEC in conducting free, fair and credible and protecting the sanctity of choice made by electorates at the polls ranging from registration, Voters accreditation and Result management deploying new technologies.
“The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) with its dual fingerprint and facial biometric accreditation process has ensured that only genuine voters are accredited to vote during election. This has curtailed the incidence of multiple voting and other sharp practices associated with voter accreditation during elections. The BVAS has come to stay and will be the only means by which voters will be accredited in the 2023 General Election.
He further explained that, the introduction of the INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal has made the result management procedure more transparent. Polling Unit results are now uploaded in real-time to the IReV portal for public view.
“This has enhanced the transparency, credibility and consequently public confidence in the outcome of elections. The IReV has come to stay and polling unit results will be uploaded to the portal in real-time in the 2023 General Election” he added.
He outlined the duties of INEC, stating that the statutory responsibilities of INEC made it both an election management body and electoral commission.
Also speaking during the conference, former Inspector General of Police, Dr, Solomon E. Arase NPM,FDC,FCIArb commended the organizers of the conference and the chairman of INEC and urged to them to build a robust synergy.
“There must be institutional synergy between INEC, the security Agencies and the media”
Arase also called on the INEC chairman to work to ensure arrest and proper prosecution of election violators to serve as deterrent to others.
In his remarks, Umar Adoh, the Chairman and Founder of Centre For Alternative Policy Perspectives and Strategy ( CAPPS), said that there is need for independent press and commended the Independent National Electoral Commission for their courage in signing electoral bill 2022 and their continued efforts to improve the nation’s electoral system.
In a goodwill message, the representatives of National Communication Commission (NCC), Nnenna Okoye applauded the Chairman of INEC and the leadership of GOCOP for organizing the conference.
“We are delighted to be here, we appreciate GOCOP and happy that our colleagues who publishes online are guided and able to educate the Nigeria Public”
Okoye, who condemned that altitude of people who engage in vandalisation of public infrastructure should desist from such act and urge the media to educate the people on the dangers of vandalizing public infrastructures.
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