Ahead of the Ondo and Edo States governorship election, the International Press Centre (IPC) is set to conduct a one-day webinar/virtual capacity building session for journalists and media stakeholders in the states.
The webinar, according to the Executive Director of IPC, Mr. Lanre Arogundade is organized under component 4b: support to media of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) project.
Arogundade said the training is to consolidate efforts by Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other electoral stakeholders under the EU-SDGN project to ensure that the media coverage of the Ondo and Edo State elections is professional.
The Ondo training will hold on Tuesday, August 11 and Edo on August 13, 2020.
INEC had, in February, fixed the governorship election in Edo for September 19, while that of Ondo State will hold October 10.
The webinar, which is held in collaboration with the leadership of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) councils in the two States Arogundade explained is aimed at “ deepening the role of the media (conventional and new/social) in promoting professional and ethical reportage of electoral processes, including issues of inclusivity, accountable democratic practices, factual and conflict-sensitive reporting of the process leading to the governorship elections, the elections proper and emerging post-election issues, among others.”
“As INEC gear up plans to conduct governorship elections on September 19 and October 10 in Ondo and Edo State respectively, it is imperative that media coverage of the process leading to the elections are professionally done in such a way that the germane issues that will promote greater stakeholders and citizens participation in the elections are brought to the fore of media reportage.
“Our preliminary observations have revealed rising issues of political conflicts and tension which have produced news headlines and reports of personality clashes and hostilities around certain political actors in the elections. The media needs to be careful so as not to become entangled in the twist of events so that emerging media reports do not create undue tension which may dissuade the electorates from fully participating in the elections”, Arogundade said.
Key remarks shall be received from Mr. Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, including perspectives from representatives of disability and gender groups such as Mr. David Anyaele of Centre for Citizens with Disabilities (CCD) and Mrs. Mufuliat Fijabi of the Nigerian Women Trust Fund, among other stakeholders.
Mr. Martins Oloja of the Guardian Newspaper and Mr. David Ajikobi of AfricaCkeck will facilitate the sessions for the Ondo webinar on Zoom platform, while Mr. Joshua Olufemi of Dataphyte, including other media experts, shall facilitate the Edo capacity building session scheduled for Thursday, August 13, 2020, respectively.
