Change Perception of Election as Do or Die Affair, NUJ President Tasks Media Practitioners

Adibe Emenyonu in Benin City

The President, Nigeria Union of Journalists, Mr. Chris Isiguzo, has urged media practitioners to help politicians to disabuse their minds from the way they see elections as a do or die issue.

Isiguzo added that this could be achieved to a greater level if media practitioners jettison disinformation and embrace peace in their reportage.

Isiguzo gave the charge in his keynote presentation he delivered at two-day sensitisation workshop in Port Harcourt, capital of Rivers State.

The two days capacity building for journalists and Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) in South-south is a media training on Conflict Sensitive Reporting, 2023 General Elections and Countering Fake News organised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) and the Centre for Democratic Development (CDD).

The NUJ president, who spoke on the topic: “Role of Media in the Conduct of Peaceful Election,” observed that despite the belief by politicians that election is a do or die affair, there was need to disabuse this mindset.

This he said brought the need for media professionals to brainstorm ahead of the election this year so as to prepare ourselves very well for the onerous task ahead.

According to him, “the 2023 Nigerian elections will be held, in large part, on February 25 and March 11, 2023. The President and Vice President will be elected on 25 February…there will also be elections on the same day for the Senate and the House of Representatives. On 11 March, 28 gubernatorial elections will be held alongside elections to state houses of assembly in all the 36 states of the Federation.

“Peace Journalism/Conflict Sensitive and Election Reporting is key in whatever we do as journalists. It is very necessary to take the issue of peace as a cardinal point and take into consideration the need to be careful so that areas that are already fragile do not explode or implode. Peace is a basic requirement in a democracy. No democracy can flourish in the absence of peace.”

He nonetheless frowned at the prevalence of hate speech and fake news in society which he informed must be cut down as will assist immeasurably in dousing tension in the polity.

In his welcome, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), for INEC, Rivers State, Dr. Johnson Alalibo Sinikiem, who just assumed office as REC, said the series of trainings by INEC are “pragmatic road maps towards ensuring deliverance of free, fair, credible and acceptable elections for sustenance of democracy in Nigeria.”

The Director, Centre for Democratic Development (CDD), Mr. Idayat Hassan, who was represented by Mr. Damian Ihekoronye, mentioned the issue of fake news and the need to ensure participants are sensitive to the environment in their reportage so as not to build layers of discord in society.

The Rivers State NUJ Chairman, Mr. Stanley Job Stanley, observed that, “for someone to come out to say that they will sweep the poll before elections and it happens casts doubt hence the need for INEC to deliver on its mandate while journalists should avoid sensationalism.”

The two day workshop, which aimed to boost reportorial skills on conflicts sensitive reportage, 2023 general election and countering fake news, witnessed the robust cross fertilization of ideas by participants which helped to pinpoint possible setbacks on the use of technology, 109 days to the 2023.

Even as INEC built confidence, challenges were highlighted on the efficiency of Accreditation System (BVAS) machine.

The training programme, which was highly interactive in nature encouraged the dissemination of information through the use of mainstream and new media for societal good.