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From Fred Itua, i
Director-General of the National Institute for Legislative and Democratic Studies (NILDS), Professor Abubakar Sulaiman, has revealed that the campaigns leading to the 2023 general elections, are the most damaging in Nigeria’s political history.
Sulaiman spoke in Abuja on Monday at a capacity-building workshop for members of the Senate and House of Representatives Press Corps.
While urging the media to moderate the use of intemperate language, Prof. Sulaiman, said the media plays a critical to the very survival of the country’s democracy.
He said in the last two decades, “we have taken the freedoms that come with democracy for granted. Indeed, it has become widely accepted that democracy has come to stay in Nigeria.”
He said events in the last few years in the sub-region, demonstrate how fragile democracies can be and how easy it is to experience democratic reversals.
He said: “Moreover, at the internal level, the capacity of democracy and democratic actors and institutions to deliver on development, security, economic prosperity and national unity has been seriously questioned.
“A few weeks before the general elections, the very essence of our nationhood is being questioned. Nigerians are now asking whether a nation built on a fragile but optimistic foundation can long endure.
“Equally, there is a raging debate as to whether democracy has improved people’s lives all these years and if it has the answers to all the problems that confront our country today.
“Nigerians are headed to the polls on the heels of unprecedented economic hardships and insecurity that have upended the lives of millions.
“This is the context of this workshop. It is premised on the notion that the media is central to the survival of democracy, particularly in the way you frame and report on the myriad challenges we face.
“If there is ever a time the media is expected to report responsibly, the time is now because a lot is riding on the way the media covers and reports stories ahead of the elections.
“A few weeks ago, the Institute organised a national dialogue session on political communication and issue-based campaigning ahead of the 2023 elections.
“It was organised in response to the rising trend of negative campaigning by political actors and parties, the spread of misinformation and fake news and the deepening polarisation of our people along ethnic and religious lines.
“Since the commencement of the Fourth Republic, this electoral period and political campaigns have arguably been the most damaging to the core values of national cohesion and unity that Nigeria has been built on.
“Unfortunately, the media has often fed on this frenzy to click-bait, sell more and attract viewership. As a result, we have seen a rise in negative and misleading headlines and media interviews focused mainly on sensational personalities and headlines.
“The failure of the media to re-frame the conversation and re-direct politicians to issues that confront Nigeria has largely worsened the situation.
“TV and radio hosts enable the circus by prioritising irrelevant and adverse topics. When politicians engage in misleading and divisive antics and rhetoric, the media has a solemn duty to call them out, condemn and re-direct the discourse on substantive issues.
“It is easy to get carried away and join the bandwagon of such lazy journalism. The outcomes, however, could be dire as we are presently experiencing in Nigeria.
“Negative reporting entrenches societal divisions, fuels hatred and violence, erodes government legitimacy, and setup citizens against each other.
“I challenge you, therefore, to reflect on your role as watchdogs of our democracy. As professionals, you have a duty to inform the public and provide them with the information they need to make informed decisions about leadership and policy.
“However, the media is better placed to set the agenda for public discussion of critical issues, especially in the build-up to the elections.
“Additionally, the media should facilitate community and nation-building by helping people find common cause sand work toward practical solutions to the problems confronting all Nigerians regardless of which part of the country they are from or live in.
“The rise of new media has complicated the political media system, bringing with it many positive innovations and dangers as well.
“However, its most significant advantage, that of relaying information directly to people, is also its greatest weakness. The absence of intervention of editorial and institutional gatekeepers, as obtained in traditional media, means an increased level of instability and unpredictability, as well as the potential for fake news and disinformation.
“It is for this reason that governments around the world are increasingly regulating the media. I am aware that efforts to streamline and strengthen media regulations in Nigeria are often met with stiff and ferocious opposition.
“While I do not advocate for laws that gag and stifle the media, I am convinced now, more than before, that we need more robust legal frameworks for the official oversight of media operations.
“This is to ensure that media organisations and systems serve the public and promote the public good. All advanced democracies have developed such frameworks to protect their people from the dangers of unregulated media.
“Developing countries, including Ghana, have also put in place laws and guidelines to promote balance discussion of personalities with analysis of the issues; making party manifestos intelligible to the electorate; remaining impartial; refraining from activities that compromise the integrity of the journalist; and avoiding the promotion of violent or ethnic conflict.
“The Electoral Act has robust provisions prohibiting campaigning or broadcasting based on religious, tribal, or sectional reason for the purpose of promoting or opposing a particular political party or the election of a particular candidate (s.97).
“Section 91 prohibits campaigns or slogans that are tainted with abusive language that directly or indirectly injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings.
“In addition, it prohibits using abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendoes that are likely to provoke violent reactions or emotions.
“It also prescribes penalties for breaches. Yet, no politician or party has been charged despite abundant evidence of blatant contraventions of these provisions by people from all parties.
“Additionally, the Electoral Act has a few provisions on the use of state media but, unfortunately, nothing concrete to regulate private media organisations.
“Nonetheless, Section 120 (6) prohibits the dissemination of false results and prescribes a penalty of three years imprisonment.
“I call on all security and enforcement agencies to closely study all the electoral offences in the Act and take measures to arrest and prosecute offenders.
“I have recently commissioned a research study at the Institute to systematically and comprehensively track and record media reporting across print, electronic and new media to identify the use of abusive, intemperate, slanderous or base language or insinuations or innuendoes as specified in the Electoral Act in the build-up to the 2023 elections.
“The research is expected to assist legislative decision sand law-making by the 10th Assembly. I wish to conclude by re-stating the Institute’s commitment to continue providing evidence-based research to assist legislators and other policymakers.
“Let me also thank our partner, the Konrad Adenauer Foundation and its dedicated Resident Representative, Marija Peran.
“Over the last three years, we have developed a robust partnership that has strengthened the capacity of legislators and other critical stakeholders, including the media.”
