The Delta State Independent Electoral Commission (DSIEC) on Thursday in Asaba trained no fewer than 50 journalists ahead of the July 13 Local Government Election in the state.
The one-day capability building workshop was organised in collaboration with the Nigeria Union of Journalist (NUJ).
The theme of the workshop was, “Making a Successful Electoral Process through Effective Coverage and Reportage”.
DSIEC Chairman, Dr Jerry Agbaike, said information mismanagement had turned elective political contenders into deadly violent competition instead of mechanism for democratic management of Nigeria’s ethnic diversity.
He said,” The forgoing calls for a paradigm change and the time for the change is now.
“The press has a role to play. Social media has robustly triggered misinformation, the sharing of falsehood with deliberate intent to mislead and promote selfish political agenda.
” Misinformation that is orchestrated as rumour on social media are often picked up by mainstream or influential political figures to perpetuate pre-exiting political cleavages, political sabotage and election discrediting.
“The vices need to be urgently corrected and this underscores the importance of this workshop by the NUJ and DSIEC,” he said.
He said that DSIEC was driven by the strong ethics of equity, justice and fairness and high integrity as impartial arbiter to deliver on its mandate to conduct a free, fair, transparent, credible and peaceful LG elections come July 13.
He noted that appropriate machinery had been put in place, adding that the selected ad hoc staff for the election would be trained.
He explained that selected ad hoc staff were not card carrying members of any registered political party were persons of unquestionable character and without bias against any political aspirant or party.
According to the DSIEC Chairman, security and law enforcement agencies are already collaborating with the commission to curtail political threats, provide adequate security and ensure a peaceful election.
“DSIEC has also initiated a peace accord to be signed by the chairmen of the 10 participating political parties, its chairmanship candidates and law enforcement agencies in the state.
” In line with the DSIEC’s inclusive policy, equal opportunities shall be given to persons with disabilities to vote.”
He noted that accredited observers and delegates would be on ground to monitor the election in the 5,863 polling units in 500 wards across the 25 local councils of the state.
Agbaike, however, urged the people of the state to come out and freely exercise their voting rights to select their choice.
On his part, State NUJ Chairman, Mr Churchill Oyowe, said that theme of the workshop was apt.
He said that media as the watchdog of the society, has a role to play in electioneering process to ensure a transparent, fair, and credible election.
The Resource Person, Prof Godwin Oboh, who spoke on “Laws and Processes of Election Coverage and Reportage” tasked journalist on the need to avoid sensational reportage.
Oboh, who also delivered the lecture on: “Evolving Trends in Local Government Elections; Hazards, Pitfalls and Challenges, charged journalists on the need to ensure peace while reporting on an election.
According to him, Nigeria is evolving, it is not yet there as a country with the reputation for a free, fair and credible elections.
He said that while the government provides the platform for the political parties, the electoral umpire, traditional, religious leaders and the media had the role to educate the people to select their leaders in a free, fair and credible election.
Participants at the workshop who were drawn from various medium, lauded the training.
