NewsHow Media Can Help Electorate Make Informed Choices – Mike Igini

How Media Can Help Electorate Make Informed Choices – Mike Igini

A former Resident Electoral Commissioner in Akwa Ibom and Cross River States, Mike Igini, has explained how the media can help the electorate make informed choices in the next general election.

He said this is possible when the media sets the agenda on issues and policy debates for candidates and political parties.

Igini made this known in a paper he presented in Calabar during the 2022 Media Week organised by the Cross River State chapter of the Nigeria Union of Journalists.

Igini’s paper was titled ‘2023 General Elections: The Nigeria Project and The Media.’

He contended that, “The most important role of the media in a democracy as a watchdog is setting agenda on issues and policy debates on security, economy, job creation and employment, education, health, infrastructure and foreign policy for political parties and their candidates.

“That is the only way the media can help the Nigerian people to make informed choices of qualified and competent leaders that would occupy the legislative and executive arms of government at all levels.

“My principal submission is that the success or failure of the Nigerian project is entirely up to us the people of this country.

“The forthcoming general election is yet another opportunity for us to renew the journey of our country both in terms of those who have run the affairs of the country and the policies that have been implemented in the last few years”, he said.

He added that the 2023 general election is so critical to the country and we must make a success of it, hence must not be left in the hands of politicians alone.

He posted that all hands must be on deck come 2023 for the nation building process.

“The election is so critical that we must make success of it, the vocation of politics Charles de Gaulle admonished is too serious to be left alone to those who say they are politicians.

“The Nigerian project and governance cannot and must not be left entirely in the hands of those who are popularly elected into power.

“The exigencies of the time demands that all hands must be on deck and all serious-minded groups and individuals of talents and vision must be passionately engaged in building the project which in my view requires a reset and demands ethical revolution or a process of moral regeneration,” he said.

He highlighted some sections of the electoral act which will make next year’s elections difficult to manipulate.

He said, “Sections 29, 31, 33, 34, 43, 47, 50, 51, 60, 61, 65, 77, 81, 84, 91, 95, 115,121,134,137 and section 47 of the Act provides for compulsory use of the Bimodal voters Accreditation system (BVAS) for the accreditation of all voters across Nigeria, failure to use invalidate the election.

“It’s a dual system i.e biometrics and facial recognition. Consequently, the use of incident form completely eliminated,” he said.

He added that the 1999 constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria in section 22 specifically imposed on the media the obligation to “at all times be free to uphold the fundamental objectives…and uphold the responsibility and accountability of the government to the people.”

Thus, he submitted that the most important function of the media in a democracy is the media’s role as a watchdog.

The watchdog role he surmised is the most important part of the journalist’s job, because it bridges the democratic variance between electoral promises, expectations and actual deliverables that affect the material and social condition of the people.

Earlier, NSA Gill, the Chairman of the Cross River State Chapter of the NUJ, said this year’s theme of the media week “2023 General Elections: The Nigerian Project and the Media,” was carefully and deliberately chosen for obvious reasons.

He said, “Whether we like it or not we are faced with a political decision that would either make or mar our future as a country.

“No profession, individual, organisations or people can afford to stay aloof, without getting involved in the political process toward 2023 General Elections,” he said.

About the Author

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THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.

Bassey Aniekan, THEWILLhttps://thewillnews.com
THEWILL Correspondent, Aniekan Bassey has over six years experience that spans across several fields in print journalism including development communication, sexual reproductive and health rights issues, crime, climate change, social justice, business and human interest stories.

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