Osun 2018: We need to de-escalate tension, avoid alarming reports ― INEC

BARELY 18 days to the conduct of September 22 governorship poll in Osun, the national chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Mahmood Yakub, on Wednesday in Osogbo tasked media practitioners to de-escalate tension and avoid alarming reports.

He said this would go a long way to support the electoral body in the conduct of a peaceful exercise, saying there was a critical need for healthy synergy for the development of democracy in Nigeria.

Speaking during a one-day seminar organised by the electoral body in conjunction with IFES for media executives in Osogbo, Yakub, who was represented by his Chief Press Secretary (CPS), Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, he maintained that “we need to be precise and balance in our reportage, most especially figures of collated results from polling units”.

According to Yakub, “we need to de-escalate tension and avoid alarming reports. Hate speech should be avoided. INEC is not a political party. Media is a critical partner in the conduct of the election. We provide assess to information. The issue of the election is very serious. We need to be balanced and objectives and not to endanger the process.”

In his speech at the seminar, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) of INEC in Osun State, Mr Olusegun Agbaje said “on the parts of the commission, concerted efforts are ongoing round the clock towards ensuring adequate preparation is put in place for the smooth conduct of the election.

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He averred that “as at today, I can confidently say that INEC is over 80% ready for the conduct of the governorship election on 22nd of September, 2018″, adding that some of the things that have been put in place include among others comprehensive and targeted voter education, in all the 30 local government councils.”

While giving a breakdown of the latest figures of the Permanent Voters Cards (PVCs) collected as at 4th, September, Agbaje, who was represented by the director of voters education the INEC office in Osun, Venerable Stephen Ojewande said “total number of PVCs collected so far is 1, 213, 026”, explaining that “the total number of uncollected PVCs stands at 463, 186