The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on Thursday commenced the distribution of non-sensitive materials ahead of the 20 June governorship election in Ekiti State.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in the state, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, stated this during a policy dialogue on safeguarding democracy and electoral participation held in Ado Ekiti, the state capital.
Speaking at the event themed “Safeguarding Democracy and Electoral Participation: The Role of Media and Political Parties,” the REC said the commission had completed major electoral preparations and assessed all Registration Area Centres across the state ahead of the poll.
Mr Omoseyindemi said that INEC had also engaged political parties and trained security agencies to ensure a free, fair and credible election.
He noted that the distribution of sensitive materials to Registration Area Centres would be monitored with tracking devices to guarantee transparency and accountability in the electoral process.
He noted that the media and political parties remained critical stakeholders in promoting peaceful participation, discouraging misinformation and strengthening public confidence in the electoral process.
Mr Omoseyindemi restated the electoral body’s commitment to conducting a peaceful, inclusive and transparent election through sustained collaboration with relevant stakeholders.
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Also speaking, the Acting Director-General of The Electoral Institute, Ibrahim Sani, described the media and political parties as key pillars of democracy.
Mr Sani warned against the dangers of misinformation, hate speech, vote-buying and political intimidation, stressing that democracy could only thrive where there was accountability, inclusion and public trust.
He urged political parties to embrace internal democracy and issue-based campaigns, while charging the media to uphold professionalism and ethical standards in election coverage.