Breaking News: INEC Chairman Urges Media To Defend Against Fake News While Upholding Journalism Ethics....KINDLY READ THE FULL STORY HERE▶

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), called upon media professionals in the country to act as a barrier against the spread of false information while steadfastly adhering to the principles of responsible journalism. During a meeting with media executives in preparation for the upcoming governorship elections in Kogi, Imo, and Bayelsa states, Prof. Yakubu emphasized that while the commission values election coverage, it will not actively censor media reports.

He expressed, “I want to remind all media organizations to strictly uphold the ethics of your profession. We welcome coverage of the elections. Simultaneously, you must stand guard against the dissemination of fake news. It is important to note that the Commission does not advocate censorship. We have consistently maintained that the most effective defense against fake news is enhanced transparency and ongoing, constructive dialogue with stakeholders. We will continue to collaborate in this regard.”

Prof. Yakubu disclosed that approximately 94 media organizations, with 1,255 personnel, have received accreditation to cover the off-cycle elections in the three states. He further noted, “In the coming days, the accredited media organizations will be informed of the schedule for collecting identity cards for their representatives.

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Providing additional details about election preparations, he mentioned, “About two weeks ago, the Commission conducted a mock accreditation exercise involving actual voters at designated polling units in the three states. Through this exercise, we assessed the effectiveness of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) for biometric voter authentication and result uploading to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV). Some of you observed the mock accreditation and reviewed the results on the IReV portal. So far, we have received no negative feedback. This encourages us to believe that the test was successful, and we anticipate improved BVAS performance in voter accreditation and result uploading for the upcoming governorship elections and beyond.”

Emphasizing the multi-stakeholder nature of elections, he stated, “In fulfilling our responsibilities, we will continue to engage with all stakeholders. This includes ongoing engagement with security agencies. Media organizations have previously expressed concerns about the safety of journalists, technical staff, and the protection of their equipment on Election Day. Likewise, you have frequently urged the Commission to intervene with security agencies to ensure your unimpeded access to polling and collation locations. I want to reassure you that we will persist in these efforts as we collaborate with security agencies at both the national level and in the three states.”

Prof. Yakubu underscored the importance of the governorship elections in Bayelsa, Imo, and Kogi, describing them as crucial for the commission.