October 7, 2022

The Guild of Corporate Online Publishers(GOCOP) has commended the Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) for evolving, using technology to ensure credible elections in the country, while giving Nigerians reasons to believe that votes will now begin to count.

Speaking to journalists on the sideline of the Guild’s 6th annual conference in Lagos on Thursday themed: “2023 Elections: Managing the Process for Credible Outcome,”  Mr. Ken Ugbechie, publisher Political Economist magazine and chairman, 2022 Conference Committee, noted that “for the first time in Nigeria’s Political history there’s heightened zeal and enthusiasm among the electorates, especially the youths.”

According to him, this is also the first time we are seeing an INEC that’s evolving, using technology and with everyone working to ensure the credibility of elections in the country, which is “why we deliberately chose the theme of this year’s conference to reflect the mood of the moment”.

Ugbechie recalled that President Muhammadu Buhari earlier in the year signed the electoral act amendment bill which will allow the electronic transfer of election results.

‘The cumulation of all these by INEC, including the BVAS is the booster shoot against election rigging”.

“We tried it in Ekiti, Osun and Anambra and it seems to be working, but 2023 provides us the real litmus test because it will be an election that will require very humongous logistics”, he said.

He added that the conference was organised to further curate ideas which is why, ” as media practitioners we have created this platform for stakeholders (CSOs, security experts, INEC and politicians) to come under one roof for robust discussions on how to make it better”.

Ugbechie further noted that the INEC chairman, Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, has given a commitment and, that he is not averse to an election that is not credible.

“He made a critical statement that it’s not for INEC alone to make it happen. The media must play its role”, he noted.

GOCOP was established to ensure that online publishers uphold the tenets of journalism in doing their jobs and our membership is a constellation of Editors and senior journalists who, having distinguished themselves in their various stations, ventured into online publishing which is both the present and future of journalism globally.

Report by: Theresa Igata