INEC, the media and 2003 elections
By
NIGERIA's political development has been characterised by two short spells of electoral democracy from October 1, 1960 to January 15, 1966, October 1, 1979 to December 31, 1983 and by two long spells of military rule from January 16, 1966 to September 30, 1979, January 1, 1984 to May 28, 1999. No civilian government has successfully handed over power to another civilian government through the electoral process. The demise of each democratic era has followed from the controversies and disputes over the results of the general elections held in 1965, 1983 and 1993. There is a general concern as we approach the 2003 general elections, that history must not repeat itself. The 2003 general elections will have to be successful.
There is the erroneous tendency to blame all the shortcomings in the electoral process at the doorstep of the Electoral Commission. However, the activities of many other bodies and organisations affect the smooth conduct of the electoral system. The media is one of such organisations. In talking with you (media executives) here today, we are talking with some of the most potentially powerful and influential people in society. The importance of the media as the means through which the public acquires information about the world and derives its knowledge and perceptions of current political problems cannot be underestimated.
The Nigerian media is quite vibrant with many Radio and TV stations as well as many daily newspapers, weekly papers and now some news-based websites. The print media is widely read though largely restricted to the urban areas because of logistical challenges and commercial considerations. The radio commands a much wider reach as it covers the whole country, most especially the majority illiterate population in the vast rural areas. Coupled with its use to disseminate information in the various indigenous languages, the radio is a very potent communication medium. Nigerian media also reaches the outside-world including Nigerians in Diaspora through their internet based information dissemination.
It follows that with its power to provide information to the citizens during voter education, during the registration of voters, during campaigns, during the actual voting, during counting, collation and announcement of results, the media can make or mar elections depending on how it builds up public perceptions of the process. The role of the media is also important during the reporting of any judicial proceedings that may follow disputed results.
Given its dominance in the dissemination of information, the media is as important, if not more important than the Electoral Commission in ensuring free, fair and peaceful elections. The Independent National Electoral Commission pleads for media support and co-operation in ensuring that all Nigerians understand the basic facts about the electoral process and are correctly informed. The media's pivotal role in information dissemination requires that it must as is expected of the commission be impartial, fair and maintain a high level of integrity. Media coverage of electoral activities in TV and Radio reporting, in the print media must demonstrate a mastery of the knowledge and understanding of relevant constitutional provisions, the electoral law and related regulations and guidelines.
The use to which the media is deployed is at the heart of creating a level playing field for all the participants in the electoral process. Sections 94 and 95 of the Electoral Act 2002 regulate media conduct. The media must be moderately balanced in its coverage of electoral activities and the issues that may surround them. For example, it should provide equal access and opportunity (level playing field) to all political parties and candidates for paid political advertisements on TV, Radio and Print. On TV and Radio, it should make available to contesting political parties and their candidates equal time so as to be even-handed. In its news reports, it should refrain from using its programmes to promote any partisan objectives. Broadcasts should be based on reports generated from independent and painstaking investigations that verify allegations, comments and claims. Where errors are made, corrections must be promptly broadcast.
Now from these remarks to specific electoral activities in the run-up to the April 2003 general elections. The general voter exercise took place from September 12 to 22, 2002. During the period, the Commission's field staff collected data for the compilation of a computerised register of voters. Hitherto, the register of voters had been manually compiled. A manual register had many inherent weaknesses which anti-social persons used to abuse the voting process.
For the September registration exercise, the Commission released registration materials for over 70 million persons as against a targeted population of 59,500,000 which was advised by the National Population Commission. Surprisingly, reports of shortage of registration materials came in from most states of the federation, leading to the inability of some Nigerians to register. The make-up registration exercise scheduled to take place from Tuesday, January 21 to Thursday, January 23 is intended to afford those Nigerians the opportunity to register. It is important to emphasise that the make-up registration is for those who previously could not or did not register. Those who did before stand the risk of being disenfranchised if they register again in the make-up exercise.
The Commission has since the conclusion of the September registration exercise undertaken an intensive computer processing of all registrants data. Arising from the computer processing, it is evident that many Nigerians registered more than once. In some local government areas, incidence of multiple registration was as high as 40 per cent of the registered population. To be specific, in one local government, out of 48,320 registrants, 19,312 had matched fingerprints. This means that all those responsible for the matched fingerprints have disenfranchised themselves since their names cannot be on the authentic Register of Voters. Apart from its potential for detecting fraudulent entries, computerisation of the register makes the registration of voters a systematic continuous process. It eliminates the practices of the frequent compilation of a register for each successive general election and the repeated costs associated with it.
The processing of the registrants data has progressed satisfactorily well. The task involves the scanning and processing of over 70 million OMR Forms and the running of AFIS system to weed out multiple registrants, before the printing of registers for claims, objections and appeals. Over 96 per cent of the Forms have been scanned and processed and now undergoing biometric profiling.
Many offences by registration officials and by some politicians were also cited during the registration exercise. The affected Commission's staff has all been placed on interdiction pending the determination of their guilt or lack of guilt. The names of the politicians have been passed to the police for investigation and possible prosecution. For the make-up registration exercise, persons seeking to register will be required to confirm that they have not previously registered by completing an attestation form.
The publication of the Preliminary Register of Voters is to be followed by a review period of five days in February during which all registration centres will have their registers displayed. The display will afford the chance to those who have alleged multiple registration or under-age registration or alien registration to object to the inclusion of those alleged names on the Register of Voters. Those objected to will have the opportunity of defending their status. After the hearings and agreements on claims and objection, the computer database will be updated for corrections. The display leading to claims and objections is a key phase in the compilation of credible register. The Commission expects that all citizens will be active in checking for the correctness of their names during the display. The period is when to ensure that your name is on the registrar and that you can go to a particular centre to vote with all certainty. Any help the media can give in promoting this process and educating the voting public about the importance of this process will be a great public service.
Though recent amendments to the Electoral Act have changed some deadlines with regards to the submission of the lists of candidates, the amendments have not affected the overall time frame within which the elections will be conducted. As previously announced, the National Assembly elections will hold on Saturday April 12, the Presidential and Governorship elections will hold on the April 19 and run-offs on the April 26 and 29, if need be. The States' Houses of Assembly elections will hold on May 4, 2003.
An up-to-date schedule of activities which include activities that are internal to the commission's administration of the processes as well as those activities in which all citizens can participate is in the Annex. The last date for the filing of nomination is March 11, 2003.
The Commission recognises that for the media to do its job properly and effectively, it needs all the basic facts and information from the commission. At the present time, the commission is finalising its training manual for poll workers, its manual for those observing election and other aspect of the electoral process.
As part of the commission's service to the media, comprehensive media information packs are being developed and will be made available as soon they are completed.
Closer to the election, and with the support of some of our international donor like the United Nations, the British Government, the European Union, the Commission will conduct a nation-wide series of information seminars for journalists on the facts of the electoral process.
A media information centre is to be set up in Abuja as a central point of access to result which will also be available through our web-site which is currently in a process of redevelopment.
The eyes of the world are on Nigeria at this time. Through the avenues of print, radio, television, international news services, the Internet and other means, the world is looking to see how Nigeria unfolds over the next few months. This attention will be heightened by the presence in Nigeria of foreign observer teams and by extensive domestic monitoring.
A feisty media which through sensational reporting generate more heat than light is inimical to the democratic process.
Lopsided reports especially in electronic media where people are made to discuss issues concerning the commission without anyone invited from the commission to state its own side of the story should be avoided. The media more than ever before must deliberately discourage cynicism and rather encourage the electorate to be vigilant and help monitor the process to deter fraud and other malpractices. Every administrative lapse should not be understood as a means to confer as advantage to any political group or candidate and their programmes. The time is over when politicians could buy their way into elective offices through the use of money and rigging of elections through ballot stuffing or outright declaration of false result.
Feb 2003