2023: INEC tasks Nigerian media on issue-based politics

By Emmanuel Oloniruha
Abuja, Aug. 18, 2022

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged the Nigerian media to work toward promoting issue-based politics, ahead of the 2023 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, said this when he received a delegation from the Media Trust Group, led by the Chairman of the Daily Trust Advisory Board on 2023 General Election, Prof. Jibrin Ibrahim, at the INEC Headquarters, Abuja.
This is contained in the Commission’s latest bulletin issued on Thursday in Abuja.
“The Nigerian Election Debate Group has been doing its best and also other media outlets have been doing their best organising debates before major off-season elections and during the General Election.
“I am happy that one of the major media organisations in the country is also joining to advance the cause of our democracy. The more organisations engaged the better the electoral democracy,” he said.

The chairman appreciated Daily Trust for its objective and professional coverage of INEC and its activities, as well as the electoral process generally.

He welcomed the organisation’s involvement in election debate and urged it to extend its advocacy and engagement to cover areas usually not covered by the mainstream media.

He assured that the Commission was a willing partner in progress and would continue to operate an open-door policy with the media in terms of content and information sharing.
Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Prof. Ibrahim Jibrin, while explaining the purpose of their visit, said it was to brief the management of INEC of their plans for the 2023 General Election.

Jibrin said that the Daily Trust and its associated Media platforms were committed to the promotion of issue-based politics in the country.

“We believe that the 2023 election is the opportunity to raise the question of issue-based politics to its highest point in our history.

“We are aware that the commission itself is very much part of that culture of the promotion of the issue-based politics.
“Given our commitment as a media group, we are planning a number of specific interventions that relate to making the campaigns a central fulcrum around which issues will emerge on which voters will take their decisions on which candidate and party to support,” Jibrin said.