The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has declared that the deregistered political parties that got judgement at the Appeal Court on Monday will not be part of Ondo and Edo states governorship elections.
Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi made the declaration while responding to questions at a webinar organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) for journalists in Ondo state ahead of the gubernatorial elections.
According to him, since the window of conducting primaries by political parties had expired under the election guidelines, no new party will be accommodated.
He said the judgement of the Appeal Court on the reinstatement of the delisted political parties would not affect preparations for the two governorship elections
“We had six judgements on the issue of reregistration and five favoured INEC. We have an appeal court judgement affirming that the commission is right, and another appeal now is saying it is not right. What to do as a body is to approach the Supreme Court to clear the air’,he stated.
The training was tagged, “Webinar/virtual capacity building session on ‘professional, factual, conflict sensitive and safety- conscious reporting’ of the Ondo state governorship election”.
Over 40 journalists participated in the webinar organised by IPC in collaboration with the Ondo State Council of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
The media capacity building session aimed at consolidating efforts by INEC and other electoral stakeholders under the EU-SDGN project to ensure that the media coverage of the Ondo and Edo states elections is professionally handled.
The webinar, organised by the IPC, under component 4b: Support to media of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) project, aimed at building the capacity of selected journalists and media stakeholders in Ondo and Edo States respectively and equally equipped them on tools needed to be professional, factual, conflict sensitive and provide safety- conscious reporting’ of Elections.
According to the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade, the media capacity building session was to consolidate efforts by INEC and other electoral stakeholders under the EU-SDGN project to ensure that the media coverage of the Ondo and Edo State elections is professional.
He said: “As INEC gears up plans to conduct governorship elections on September 19 and October 10 in Edo and Ondo States respectively, it is imperative that media coverage of the process leading to the elections are professionally done in such a way that the germane issues that will promote greater stakeholders and citizens participation in the elections are brought to the fore of media reportage.
“Our preliminary observations have revealed rising issues of political conflicts and tension which have produced headlines and reports of personality clashes and hostilities around certain political actors in the elections.
“The media needs to be careful so as not to become entangled in the twist of events, so that emerging media reports do not create undue tension which may dissuade the electorates from fully participating in the elections.”
The webinar session featured key stakeholders, representatives from INEC and other institutional stakeholders, including special capacity building sessions by media experts who facilitated themes for professional and ethical reportage of the elections, including issues of incliivily, fact checking, hate speech and conflict-sensitive reporting (online/offline).
Key remarks were received from Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, including perspectives from representatives of disability and gender groups such as Mr. David Anyaele of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and Mrs. Mufuliat Fijabi of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, among other stakeholders.
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