INEC PARLEYS WITH MEDIA ON EXPANDING VOTER ACCESS TO POLLING UNITS

……. Solicits for cooperation of the media

Oru Leonard

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), met with Media Executives on Friday, February 12, 2021.

The INEC Chairman Prof Yakubu who spoke at the consultative meeting said the meeting was held in a bid to expand voter access to polling units in Nigeria, noted that the Media is an important stakeholder in achieving the Commission’s mandate.

He also said that the meeting with the Media is in furtherance of INEC’s consultations with stakeholders, to better communicate the Commission’s intention to expand voter access to polling units in Nigeria.

The INEC Chairman disclosed that the Commission has reviewed the previous efforts at expanding voter access to Polling Units in 2007, 2014 and just before the 2019 General Election and why they were unsuccessful, and came to the conclusion that their genuine intention may not have been properly communicated for input by Nigerians.

“The Media remain critical partners to the Commission, and the INEC Press Corps is one of the largest in Nigeria both in number and variety of outlets. It is also one of the most vibrant.

“There will be a presentation followed by discussion. We hope that by doing so, we will better communicate the Commission’s intention to Nigerians and invite input across the board on how to address this problem in the immediate term and hopefully establish the framework for future adjustments as the need arises as is the case in virtually all democracies around the world.

“Let us work together to finally solve the 25-year old problem of access to Polling Units in Nigeria”, he stated.

The NUJ President, Comrade Chris Isiguzo while responding assured the Commission of NUJ’s support and called on INEC to carry the Media along effectively in some of its new engagements, and to also have Media men in Committees so as to better educate and inform others and the general public.

Comrade Isiguzo advised INEC to ensure that new Polling Units are evenly spread across the country to avoid marginalization  and charged them on activities that promote unity and oneness among Nigerians.

“It is good you get us more involved, and I assure you, all of us are working towards one direction to build the nation of our dream”, he noted.

INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee, Festus Okoye who delivered a paper titled “The State of Voter Access to Polling Units in Nigeria”, noted that the Commission’s intentions in organizing the engagement was due to the strong belief in the positive role the media could play in the process, especially by educating Nigerians on what the intentions of the Commission are in this regard.

He further stated is to lay all the issues on the table for the media as important stakeholders and request that the media should work with the Commission to build a genuine national consensus to solve what is clearly a national challenge, ahead of major events in the electoral calendar such as Continuous Voter Registration, off-season elections and the next general election.

Following extensive deliberations, the meeting, in a Communiqué signed on behalf of Media Executives by Comrade Chris Isiguzo, President NUJ and on behalf of INEC by Barr. Festus Okoye, Chairman Information and Voter Education, resolved as follows:

* That, given the current state of voter access to Polling Units in Nigeria, expanding access to Polling Units is fundamental and critical to the exercise of the right to vote and to the conduct of free, fair, credible and safe elections.

* That given the limited time towards the 2023 General Election and other off-cycle Governorship elections in Anambra, Ekiti and Osun states, the Media Executives support the INEC proposal of converting the existing and well-known Voting Points and Voting Point Settlements into full-fledged Polling Units.

* The Media Executives urged the Commission to continue exploring other options of expanding Voter Access to Polling Units as the need arises in response to increased population and demographic changes.

*The meeting agreed on the necessity and urgency for a framework and guidelines for the conversion of existing Voting Points and Voting Point Settlements into full-fledged Polling Units.

* The Media Executives will collaborate with and support the Commission in achieving this objective and in sensitizing the public on the necessity of promoting measures towards a routinized and seamless expansion of Voter Access to Polling Units.

* The Meeting commended INEC for embarking on wide consultation with all stakeholders in order to facilitate a consensus and build trust in expanding Voter access to Polling Units.

The meeting was physical and virtual. Media organizations in physical attendance include President NUJ; Premium Times ; NTA; AIT; Kaftan TV; Galaxy TV; Daily Times; Nigerian Tribune; BluePrint Newspaper; Leadership Newspaper.

While NAN, ABS, News Dot Africa, The Sight News, Nagarta Radio, The Guardian Newspaper, Radio Kogi, EBS, and NTA Akure, Katsina State Correspondent of The Pilot Newspaper were on virtual attendance.

Also in attendance were the Chairman of INEC, National Commissioners, Commission’s Secretary, Resident Electoral Commissioners (RECs) and INEC Directors other Senior Officials of the Commission.