INEC warns against abusive language as campaign starts Wednesday
... urges parties to adhere to constitution, electoral, police, public order acts ...assures of full deployment of technology for 2023
ahead of the commencement of presidential campaigns on Wednesday, the independent National electoral Commission (inec) has said political messages or slogans should be tainted with abusive language directly or indirectly likely to injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.
inec also said abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or innuendoes designed or likely to provoke violent reaction or emotions should not be employed or used in political campaigns.
Mahmood Yakubu, the inec chairman gave the caution at a two-day capacity building workshop for inec Press Corp Members on critical issues in the electoral act, 2022 and the Commission’s Processes, innovations, Preparations for the 2023 general election in abuja on Monday.
Yakubu, represented by
Festus Okoye, inec national commissioner in charge of voter education and publicity, reminded the media of their constitutional and legal obligations, saying state apparatus including the media shall not be employed to the advantage or disadvantage of any political party or candidate at any election.
The inec chairman urged all the 18 registered political parties to critically study and pay attention to the provisions of the Constitution, the electoral act, the Police act and the Public Order act for the proper and peaceful conduct of political campaigns, rallies and processions.
While assuring Nigerians that the commission will deploy and continue to deploy appropriate technology for the conduct of elections, he reiterated that the Bimodal Voter accreditation System (BVAS) and inec result Viewing Portal (irev) will be deployed for the conduct of the 2023 general election.
“We will continue to use technology to improve and enhance the credibility of elections in Nigeria. Our goal is electoral justice where every Nigerian will experience electoral fulfilment,” he said.
The chairman said the cleaning up of the voter register using the automated Biometric identification System (abis) is almost finalised and inec will engage with stakeholders relating to its findings before displaying the register for claims and objections as required by law.
“The Commission is conscious that a credible voter register is the basic requirement for the conduct of a credible election. We have therefore devoted time and energy to the cleaning up of the voter register using the abis.
“This process is almost finalized and the Commission will engage with stakeholders relating to its findings before displaying the register for claims and objections as required by law. Furthermore, the Commission is working out a protocol for seamless collection of Permanent Voters Cards by valid registrants,” he said.
Denis Mutabazi, monitoring and evaluation expert Dai/european Support to Democratic governance in Nigeria (EUSDGN) programme phase 11, organisers of the workshop said, the event is a crucial demonstration of inec’s strong commitment to transparency, and in ensuring that the public is and remains well informed about the commission’s stewardship of the electoral process.
earlier, Olusegun agbaje, the resident electoral Commissioner for Lagos State, said as the clock gradually clicks towards the 2023 general election, the media has a duty to; mobilise, sensitise and enlighten the electorate on all electoral processes by educating them on their responsibilities to perform their civic roles to vote for any candidate of their choice in all elective posts.