As campaigns for the 2023 general election in Nigeria gather momentum, the National President of the Guild of Editors, Mr. Mustapha Isah, on Thursday, urged political parties to undertake issues-based campaigns in all parts of the country.
National President stated this while presenting his address at the 18th All Nigerians Editors Conference which kick-started in Owerri, the Imo State capital with the theme “2023: Political Landscape, Credible Election and Role of Editors”.
Isah advised politicians not to heat up the polity through their campaigns full of acrimonies.
He said that editors play a very important role in sustaining democracy in the country, adding that to achieve democracy, there should be a free and fair election.
He said Imo State is the first state in the entire South-East zone to host the conference in the country.
While urging Nigerians to shun politicians who want to divide the country, he insisted that editors are better placed to interrogate the contestants.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the occasion, Prof. Stella Chinyere Okunna, described the media as powerful, adding that the essence of the gathering of the media in a conference of this nature is to tell people what they are.
According to her, only the media has the capacity to gather, package and disseminate information to the people.
She said: “Remove the media and Democracy will die. The media are agenda setters.”
The chairman pointed out that as the election comes, the media owns the society a duty to disseminate information.
While describing media work as a risky job, she urged the media to continue to uphold courage to stand before politicians and hold them accountable
Prof. Okunna used the forum to appeal to the Nigerians to elect credible persons into positions of authority.
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Receiving the editors in the state, Governor Hope Uzodimma declared Imo a safe place for the conference, adding that the state also remains the fastest-growing state in the country.
The governor insisted that despite all manner of the unfounded rumour of insecurity, his administration has refused to be distracted by those he described as detractors of government.
Governor Uzodimma who described the editors as genuine stakeholders urged them to rise up to the responsibility of their duties.
On the role of editors, the governor pointed out their critical role in the growth of democracy in the country and urged them not to hit up the polity with their reports.
He said: “There is a need for the editors to manage their reports which are crucial to the conduct of election in the country.
“As editors, you have the duty to manage facts with your report. It is dangerous to announce the result when an election has not been concluded.”
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