TheNewsGuru

Tag: Political Campaigns

  • INEC extends campaign deadline for political parties

    INEC extends campaign deadline for political parties

    The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended political parties’ campaigns for the Governorship and State Assembly elections from 9th March to midnight of Thursday 16th March, following the postponement of the elections.

    In a statement titled: “Rescheduling of Governorship and State Houses of Assembly Election” signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman Information and Voter Education Committee Festus Okoye, on Wednesday, INEC said the decision was in line with an earlier guideline for campaigns to end 24 hours before election day.

    It would be recalled that the Presidential Election Tribunal (EPT) had given an ex-parte order for some political parties to inspect materials used for the Presidential election, including the forensic inspection of over 176, 000 Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) used during the election.

    But the Commission approached the Court to reconsider the order, arguing that the BVAS systems were to be deployed for the Governorship and State Assembly elections.

    INEC told the Tribunal that the lack of a clearly defined timeframe for the inspection could disrupt its ability to conduct the outstanding elections.

    “Having been used for the Presidential and National Assembly elections on 25th February 2023, it is necessary to reconfigure the BVAS for activation on the date of the Governorship and State Assembly elections,” INEC said.

    The Court, however, rejected INEC’s application to vary the opposition party’s access to election materials and ordered the Commission to allow the Applicants to inspect all the electoral materials and to carry out electronic scanning and/or make photocopies of Voter Registration and Ballot Papers used for the presidential election.

    INEC had assured it would backup the accreditation data contained in the BVAS systems and would make same available to all applicants.

    It further granted them leave to conduct a Digital Forensic Inspection of BVAS machines used for the election, adding that INEC should furnish them with the Certified True Copy, CTC, of the result of the inspection.

    “The Commission is not against litigants inspecting election materials…Political parties can apply for Certified True Copies of the backend data of the BVAS.

    “Also, the results on the BVAS will continue to be available on the IReV for interested parties to access,” Okoye assured.

  • 2023: Group wants sign language interpreters at campaigns

    2023: Group wants sign language interpreters at campaigns

    The Joint National Association of Persons with Disabilities (JONAPWD) has urged political parties to provide sign language interpreters during their campaigns for 2023 poll.

    Mr Yusuf Yahaya, the Gombe Zonal Coordinator, JONAPWD, said this in a statement in Gombe on Wednesday.

    Yahaya said that the use of sign language interpreters would ensure effective communication of party manifestoes to the electorate especially Persons With Disabilities (PWDs).

    “Dearth of sign language interpreters during campaigns has made some of our members to stay away from voting.

    “Sign language interpreters are highly needed to help PWDs to participate in the electoral process.

    “PWDs often find it difficult to partake in campaigns and other political activities in view of the fact that they are not being carried along.

    “By providing sign language interpreters during campaigns, media interviews, and including them in the campaign and committees will give PWDs a sense of belonging and motivate them to vote during election,’’ he said.

    Yahaya said that PWDs deserved information on the plans and agenda of political parties and their candidates, adding that this was the essence of campaigns.

    “But many do not get that and may not participate in voting,” the JONAPWD official said.

  • 2019: NBC reads riot act to broadcasting stations over political campaigns, hate speeches

    2019: NBC reads riot act to broadcasting stations over political campaigns, hate speeches

    The Nigerian Broadcasting Commission (NBC) on Thursday read the out riot act to broadcast stations on political campaigns and hate speeches.

    Its Director-General, Mallam Ishaq Modibbo Kawu, said liable stations will soon face the law.

    He noted that it was wrong and against the ethics of the profession to broadcast campaign messages or programmes when the lid was yet to be lifted.

    Kawu, who spoke while briefing reporters on the update of Digital Switch Over (DSO), said the NBC will soon begin to phase out Analogue Switch Off (ASO) in Plateau State and the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), by the end of the First Quarter of 2018.

    The NBC boss warned that media stations must do everything professional to promote the country’s democracy.

    Kawu said: “Permit me my dear colleagues, to also take your time to remind our broadcasters that as we approach the electioneering period, stations must do everything professional to promote democracy. Broadcasters are reminded that they have a duty to respect all extant laws related to the reportage and coverage of the electoral process. Don’t broadcast campaigns when the period for commencement of campaigns have not commenced.”

    On inciting messages, the NBC boss warned against deliberate airing of contents, which are capable of inciting the people against each other.

    “We are disturbed by the pattern of insensitive and inflammatory broadcasts emanating from some broadcast stations, especially in their coverage of national crises, like the herdsmen/farmer crises.

    “We have observed that some stations deliberately and repeatedly air very inciting contents long after the events break. We have warned stations that they must follow the tenets of the Broadcasting Code.

    “Having warned broadcasters, we shall follow up with appropriate sanctions should any station continue to violate the Broadcasting Code.”

    Already, he said the commission is planning a national conference on “politics and hate speech, during which we hope to present the study we commissioned on hate speech”.

    Kawu also revealed that the commission has submitted a long list of new radio and television stations to President Muhammad’s Buhari for presidential assent.

    “The President has always been encouraging the NBC to open up accesses for Nigerians to be able to register newer radio and television stations, because of his belief that they help to deepen democratic discourse and also help to create new jobs through the broadcasting value chain,” he said.

    NBC, he added, has informed the pay DTT operators, GOTV and NTA/STAR TIMES to begin discussions with the two signal distributors – ITS and Pinnacle Communications.

    “This is because, in line with the Government White Paper on the Transition from Analogue to Digital Broadcasting, after June 2019, these pay DTT operators would no longer be licensed to operate as both content providers and signal distributors,” he explained.

    On DSO, Kawu said by the end of the third quarter of 2018, 12 states would have been hooked up to the digital viewing.

    He noted that so far, the digital switchover has been launched in three states, Plateau, Kaduna, Kwara and the Federal Capital Territory.

    The commission, he said, is “committed to roll out in many more states this year” with Enugu and Osun on the line to join the list of states in couple of weeks.

    He said: “We have already scheduled Monday, February 12, 2018 for the switch on for Enugu state. Similarly, February 23rd has been affirmed for the switch on in Osun State.”

    The full rollout, he said, is subject to achieving about 95 per cent coverage.