NIGERIA JOURNALISTS, ELECTORAL COMMISSION WANT REDUCTION IN NUMBER OF POLITICAL PARTIES

The 5 point resolution was issued and signed by Communiqué Drafting Committee members which include; Sylva Okereke, Dimeji Kayode-Adedeji and Ronke Afebioye-Samo, as well as Shuaibu Usman Leman (National Secretary, NUJ) and Festus Okoye (National Commissioner, INEC)           

Penpushing further reports that, after extensive deliberations and interactive sessions, other resolutions agreed upon were that; participants lauded the media as relevant stakeholders in the electoral processes, especially in the successful coverage of the 2019 general elections in the country, urging it to continue to ensure free and fair coverage of elections at all time.  

* Media practitioners should be knowledgeable in the political process, notably the Electoral Act, party primaries and coverage of election petition tribunals with a view to informing the populace accurately. The forum decried the number of political parties in the 2019 general elections and called for enabling legislation by the National Assembly on the reduction of the number of political parties in the country.

* It urged journalists to always be security conscious along their line of duty and urged them and not to be intimidated by security personnel, politicians or political thugs. It urged the broadcast media to adhere strictly to the Broadcasting Code on political campaigns, jingles and announcement of election results.