INEC a regulatory, not advisory body – Okoye – TheNigerialawyer

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is
a regulatory agency and not an advisory body.

Mr Festus Okoye, INEC National Commissioner and Chairman,
Information and Voter Education Committee, stated this at a
workshop for Journalists ahead of Nov. 16 governorship election in
Kogi on Wednesday in Lokoja.

Okoye said the commission was only vested with exclusive
responsibility of organising, conducting and supervising election,
stressing that INEC in its mandate was a regulatory rather than
advisory agency.

He said that insinuations by some disqualified parties and
candidates that the commission ought to have scrutinised their
nomination forms and offer advice instead of outright
disqualification were misplaced.

The INEC Commissioner noted that parties were expected to ensure
due diligence and quality control in their primaries and
nominations, saying that the commission only had responsibility of
enforcing provisions of the Constitution and sanctioning non
compliance.

He said parties must get their legal advisers and party organs
to vet documents before submitting them to the commission, saying
INEC lacked powers to waive Constitutional provisions.

Okoye urged the media to sustain its indispensable status in the
task of nation’s building which he described as imperative, adding
that the business of conducting credible election was a shared
responsibility of all the critical stakeholders in Nigeria
including the media.

“Media practitioners are critical stakeholders in the electoral
process with Constitutional responsibilities of holding government
at all levels accountable to the people and acting as the tribune
of the people.

“In performing this national task, the media must in theory,
practice and in fact, posses certain skills and capabilities rather
than relying on instincts in reporting the electoral process.

“It should not and must not depend on rumours, innuendoes,
gossip and fake news in reporting the electoral process and be
mindful of its reportage. Every false story and report has national
security implication as one false report especially during election
can lead to breakdown of law and order,” he said.

Okoye urged participating journalists at the workshop to take
the training very serious in order to avail themselves of the
commission’s guideline on election.

Earlier, the INEC Director in charge of voter education and
publicity, Mr Oluwole Osaze-Uzzi said media as gate keeper should
be able to report appropriately based on the ethics of the
profession.