1 week ago
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Ahead the governorship predetermination successful Anambra State successful November 8, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged the media practitioners connected the due reporting of the election.
Represented by his lawman astatine the commission’s office successful Abuja, Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, the National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mr. Sam Okumekun made the telephone astatine a forum for media executives, reporters, producers and on-air-personalities with the commission’s heads of section successful Anambra State yesterday.
He pleaded with the media to beryllium proactive to guarantee that the information astir the behaviour of the governorship predetermination ran faster than falsehood and misinformation.
He identified fake quality and misinformation arsenic the biggest threats to electoral integrity.
Urging media practitioners to ever verify each quality point earlier reporting, the IVEC warned “False stories, manipulated videos, and, unverified claims tin make unnecessary hostility and erode nationalist trust”.
Okumekun assured the preparedness of the committee to behaviour a free, just and credible governorship election, adding that the workout would beryllium each inclusive to warrant that nary eligible elector was disenfranchised.
The nonmigratory electoral commissioner (INEC), Queen Elizabeth Agwu successful her opening remarks said that the committee had enjoyed tremendous co-operation of the media successful the state.
She pointed retired that determination were instances the media drew the commission’s attraction to electoral malpractices and successful that mode helped the committee to close specified issues, adding besides that determination were instances the media misreported the committee and erstwhile corrected mitigated the misinformation.
Heads of ineligible and technological innovation of the committee successful Anambra State, Mrs Olachi Nwugo and Nnaji Chukwuemeka, arsenic good arsenic their electoral operations counterpart, Mr. Ejikeme Ejimofor successful their abstracted lectures highlighted assorted provisions of the Electoral Act, 2022 (as amended) that would beryllium religiously applied successful the behaviour of the polls to guarantee a credible outcome.
Mrs Nwugo for lawsuit warned that “vote-buying and sale” is simply a superior electoral offence punishable nether the electoral act, and, tasked information operatives to marque definite that anyone who indulged successful the enactment was arrested for prosecution by the commission.
Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) successful the state, Comrade Emeka Odogwu, represented by the secretary, Dr. Okechukwu Onuegbu commended INEC for organising the forum, and, promised the readiness of the national to collaborate with the committee successful sensitising captious stakeholders connected issues that necessitate due acquisition astir the commission’s activities.
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