Don’t be politicians’ appendages – INEC boss to journalists

Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has cautioned media practitioners against subjecting themselves to the whims and caprices of politicians or serve any personal or group interest.
Yakubu said although social media had become an effective tool in reporting elections as well as citizens’ political behaviours, especially among young voters, urging practitioners to consider national interest, peace and stability of the country in reporting electoral issues.
The INEC chair, who was represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of the Federal Capital Territory, (FCT), Prof. Jacob Jatau, stated this yesterday in Abuja at a public lecture organised by The Electoral Institute under INEC.
The lecture themed: “Media and Election Reportage: An Assessment of Professional and Ethical Issues,” will be the 13th Public lecture organised by the Institute.
He said as the nation “draws closer to another major election, there is the need for closer
interaction and engagement between the media and the electoral umpire.”
“The media has a strategic role to play in how electoral information is accessed, processed, distributed and consumed in Nigeria. The media super-highway has made room for open access to electoral information and open platforms are being created by various individuals for mediation of electoral production and consumption,” he said.
Guest Lecturer, Prof. Adigun Agbaje, who welcomed the constitution of the Senator Ken Nnamani Electoral Reform Committee, in his 15-page paper, expressed satisfaction that the committee would “review the situation on electoral and political reform as well as other subsisting initiatives to fashion out a new ethical, structural and institutional order for the country.”
He identified several foundational factors that had affected professional and ethical dimensions of electoral reportage in the country as “accountability, transparence, restraint, regulation, transportation, energy, corruption, social fragility in the form of religion, ethnic and regional sentiments.”
“These pose special challenge to meaningful attainment of the level of access to social service provisioning, empowerment, governance and political penetration of all communities,” he said.
He, however, noted that the challenges of democratisation are global phenomena which solutions are still evolving and under repair, adding that there was no universal consensus in fashioning out solutions.