Kemi Olaitan in Ibadan
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), yesterday, restated its commitment to conduct free and fair elections in 2023, saying any politician buying Permanent Voters’ Cards (PVCs) ahead of the elections was wasting his or her time, energy and resources.
INEC’s National Commissioner in charge of Voters Education and Publicity, Mr. Festus Okoye, gave the declaration yesterday, at a one-day capacity building on ‘Conflict Sensitive Reporting and 2023 General Election’, for journalists organised by the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in collaboration with INEC, in Ibadan, the Oyo State capital.
Present at the training were NUJ President, Chris Isiguzo, who was represented by NUJ National Trustee in charge of Zone F, Mrs. Abimbola Oyetunde; NUJ National Trustee in charge of Zone B, Mr. Adebayo Akamo; NUJ Zone B Vice President, Mrs. Ronke Afebioye Samo; NUJ Chairman in Oyo State, Ademola Babalola and INEC Administrative Secretary in Oyo State, Alhaji Abiodun Onikate-Amosu, among others.
Okoye, who was also represented by the Deputy Director in charge of Gender, Mrs. Ndidi Okafor, said the only reason many people will not vote during the elections was identity theft as anyone buying PVC was embarking on futility efforts, noting that the training centred on conflict sensitive reporting and 2023 general election.
He disclosed that journalists played critical role in deepening democracy, hence the training became imperative at the time Nigeria was approaching another general election.
According to him, “Anyone buying PVCs is embarking on effort in futility as such PVCs would count for nothing on the day of the election with the usage of BVAS. Also, it is not possible to snatch ballot boxes and ballot papers again, because of the new technology introduced by INEC. The only reason why some people will not vote is identity theft. What we are dealing with is the finger print and the face.
“So, if your finger did not match, then your face must match. If your finger print did not match and your face did not match, then, you cannot vote, that means you are not the owner of the PVC. That is identity theft.
“Let me say it again that the only reason why some people will not vote during the elections is identity theft. So, we enjoin you to be part of the education to sensitise the public and ensure accurate reportage. This is important, because the media is a major stakeholder in the electoral process.”
The NUJ President, Chief Iziguzo, in his paper titled: “Role of the Media in the conduct of Peaceful Elections”, charged journalists in the country to work towards the advancement of the right of freedom of expression, access to information, freedom of the press, media independence, conflict transformation and peace building.
He noted that those were prerequisites for open governance and development, which ultimately would serve the public interest, insisting that the pursuit of truth and public good must be the cornerstone of journalism practice in the country.
