INEC chairman calls for more media support
By Punarimam Fehintola
The independent National Electoral commission chairman Professor Mahmood Yakubu has called on journalist to ensure professionalism in discharging their duties to avoid escalation issues and learn from the incidence that happened in Rwanda 1994 and Kenya 2007.
‘It has been repeatedly shown across the world that the media is a powerful tool for protecting the right of citizens to information, giving voice to the people, providing platforms for diverse opinions and creating conditions for tolerance and understanding’.
Professor Mahmood disclosed this at a three days capacity building workshop for INEC press corp in Abuja.
He also added that its 77 days to the general election and so far 73 political parties have now filed their nominations ‘ even so, a few parties have nominated candidates below the mandatory age of thirty five for presidential and vice president candidates . we have drawn their attention of the parties concerned to the breach of the constitutional requirement ahead of the publication of the full list of presidential candidates for the 2019 general elections’.
Meanwhile the project coordinator of the European center for electoral support ECES Rudolf Elbling also urged the media to report events within the electoral cycle that will help further Democratic gains and ensuring a sustainable democracy acceptable by all Nigerians.
He added that ECES will continue to partner with INEC to ensure free and fair elections.
‘ECEC looks forward to forging enduring partnership, mutual collaboration and strategic engagements in order to strengthen Democratic governance in Nigeria’.
