Journalists have called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to empower their Public Relations Officers across the 36 states of the federation to respond quickly to information needs and verifications from newsmen.
They contended that oftentimes, INEC’s PR units lack powers to furnish newsmen with pressing information verifications, which remain unverified even after the hot news have been published.
The newsmen gave the charge at a one-day media engagement forum in Enugu for journalists and media executives from the South-East, South-South and South-West geopolitical zones.
The forum, which was organised by the electoral umpire INEC, has as it’s theme “Ethical and Professional Standards in Election Reporting ahead of 2027 General Election,” and also had in attendance members of Nigeria Institute of Social Media Analysts (NISMA) and Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN).
Leading the discourse, the Chairman, Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ), Akwa Ibom State Council Comrade Nsibet John charged INEC to empower the PROs of their respective States and equip their offices for ease of Information management, processing and dissemination.
He noted that the office of these PROs should be functional enough to receive feedbacks from members of the Public while a situation room should be created to serve as a Pool for information management.
“INEC Should work regularly with Media organizations through the leadership of the NUJ across all the states,” he said.
On his part, the Chairman NUJ, Enugu State Council, Comrade Obinna Ogbuka, called for sustained media training for journalists to change people’s negative perception against INEC.
He regretted that nothing is budgeted for journalists’ training on election reporting and ethical coverages, stressing that media practitioners needed adequate support to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
Ogbuka further expressed dismay over declining public confidence in INEC and urged the Commission to take deliberate steps to rebuild public trust before the 2027 elections.
Earlier, the INEC National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, sought stronger collaboration with the media to safeguard democracy and ensure credible, peaceful and transparent conduct of the 2027 elections.
He described the media as critical to electoral credibility, adding that public confidence in the electoral process depended largely on the accuracy, fairness and professionalism of election reporting.
Malam Haruna, who was represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, cautioned journalists against spreading misinformation, unverified results, manipulated videos and inflammatory political narratives capable of undermining public confidence and triggering violence.
He urged journalists to verify allegations against INEC through its official channels before publication and report electoral incidents with sensitivity, distinguishing between events personally witnessed and information obtained from other sources.
The National Commissioner further called for inclusive election reporting that gives adequate attention to women, youths and persons with disabilities, particularly the challenges they face in participating in the electoral process.
He urged media organisations to intensify voter education, especially on Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs), accreditation procedures, electronic transmission of results and peaceful participation.
Other presentations at the forum addressed Ethical and Professional Standards in Election Reporting; Provisions of the Electoral Act 2026; INEC’s election coverage guidelines and Nigerian Broadcasting Code; Legal and Regulatory frameworks governing elections; Technological innovations relating to BVAS and IREV; and rules guiding the publication and announcement of election results.
Participants commended INEC for its preparations for the 2027 elections but urged the Commission to address shortcomings that marred previous polls, particularly the technical glitches that affected electronic transmission of results during the 2023 presidential election. This, they maintained, have dampened the spirits of Nigerian voters to choose the president of their choice in 2027 and beyond.###
