INEC TASKS MEDIA ON OBJECTIVE REPORTAGE OF ELECTION RELATED STORIES

REPORTER: IFEANYICHUKWU CHINWUKO

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on media organizations in the country to ensure objective reportage of election-related activities as the commission prepares for the 2023 general election.

The Chairman of Commission, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, made this known in a message to a media interaction at the commission’s Headquarters in Awka, the Anambra State capital.

The INEC Chairman stated that media interaction became necessary in order to set the record straight as the commission continued with the last lap of the Continuous Voter Registration across the country.

Represented by the commission’s National Commissioner in Charge of Voter Education and Publicity, Mr. Festus Okoye, the INEC boss announced that the Continuous Voters Registration had to come to an end on July 31 to enable the Commission to carry out other election and voter registration related activities, including cleaning and and removal of double registrants on its data base and printing of voter’s cards.

The National Commissioner while speaking on the absence of a Resident Electoral Commissioner in charge of Anambra State, explained that Administrative Secretary was constitutionally allowed to perform in place of a resident electoral commissioner.

He further stated that Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, (BVAS) was put in place by the commission to checkmate incidences of voter impersonation during elections while announcing that police on election duties had rights to take into custody anyone caught impersonating.

The INEC boss used the opportunity to thank the media in the Anambra State for their partnership, commitment and objectivity during the last Anambra State governorship election despite, the stifling security challenges then.

EDITED BY CHUKWUBUIKE MADU