Lasun Alagbe
Chairman of the Independent Electoral Commission, Mamood Yakubu, has said that he does not allow any informal meeting to happen between him and politicians.
According to him, it is only at official functions they meet and discuss openly.
He noted this on Thursday while at the annual conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers held at Sheraton Hotel, Ikeja, Lagos.
Yakubu, who delivered the keynote address, presented details of INEC’s preparations towards the 2023 polls, as well as the challenges ahead, noted that politicians could be cunning and desperate in the pursuit of their ambition.
He gave the examples of two sets of leaders of two political parties who at different times lied to the commission that the candidates whose names they had submitted had died in their desperation to replace them with others.
Speaking on “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome”, Yakubu, who commended the leadership as well as membership of GOCOP for extending invitation to him, said INEC cherished the support of the online media.
The News Agency of Nigeria also reports that the INEC boss reminded the publishers to be aware that election remained a multi-stakeholder activity.
“As the Commission is doing its best to ensure a credible process, we also appeal to the media for continuous partnership.
“Managing the electoral process for credible outcome is the responsibility of all of us.
“As campaign activities get underway, the media will continue to play an important role. A lot of the activities will take place in the media of which the new media is a critical player.
“We must continue to work together against the spread of fake news, misinformation and disinformation that seek to create or exacerbate tension or de-legitimise processes and outcomes,” he was quoted as saying.
According to him, GOCOP must lead a network or alliance of stakeholders to curb fake news engineered by unpatriotic individuals.
“Fake news is a threat to national security and all hands must be on deck to check it. Managing this process requires in part, concerted efforts.
“We have noticed that your members have so far steered clear of fake news. We urge you to do more.
“GOCOP should come out strongly in the battle against fake news which is clearly a challenge to the electoral process going forward.
“We are happy to note that you have your peer review mechanism using your leaders to regularly remind every member of the need for credible journalism.
“This is highly commendable. We urge you to extend this beyond GOCOP to serve as a bulwark against the menace of fake news,” he said.
Yakubu said that, for INEC, the national interest comes first , saying, “We shall not pander to any partisan whims and caprices. We pledge to discharge our duties with the highest sense of responsibility and integrity.”
The conference was chaired by Dr. Umar Ardo, Founder of Centre for Alternative Policy Perspectives and Strategy (CAPPS), who laid a good foundation for the discussion by highlighting the dominant strengths and contradictions of Nigeria’s democracy.
Also, Barr. Solomon Arase (Retired Inspector General of Police) and Dr. ChiChi Aniagolu-Okoye, Regional Director, Ford Foundation (West Africa), were discussants.
Arase shared his experiences as the police boss with the gathering, giving a vivid and sobering picture of landmines that characterise election seasons and how to overcome them.
On her part, Aniagolu-Okoye challenged Nigerians to rise and build a responsible nation that does not have to depend on fortunes of other countries to which many run to.
This is as she stressed the need to obey ethics and play the election game according to the rule.
With the President, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mustapha Isah, commending the online publishers for upholding standards, in her welcome address, GOCOP President, Maureen Chigbo, publisher of ‘RealNews’, said the 2023 elections would be very important to Nigeria and that INEC was very important in what happens in 2023.
She used the opportunity to explain the critical roles of the online publishers and the huge efforts to sanitise the online space. She called on corporate bodies to support GOCOP in this task by doing business with GOCOP members instead of blackmailers.
“Our electoral campaigns are too abusive, divisive, and banal. I urge GOCOP to do more on stopping irresponsible reporting, apart from fake news. There is news that is not fake but creates harm and threats,” she said.
