Oyo INEC Bars People Reporter from Covering General Elections
- By solomon2day
- On 14/02/2019
- In News
The Independent National Election(INEC) in Oyo state has barred the reporter of an online investigative news platform People (2day.emyspot.com) from covering the Presidential, NationalAssembly and Governorship elections in the state .
Prior to its decision, it had informed journalists in a Media Briefing it held recently, that media organizations wishing to cover the general elections had only a day to submit a letter from their organizations and two passport photographs of their staff wishing to cover the elections within 24 hours.
Surprisingly, an INEC official in the state office, told the affected reporter that ''your application was not approved'', even though INEC never gave any instruction to media organization to submit applications.
Interestingly, in a news report on Thursday, by 12 noon , in the Oyo state owned Broadcasting Corportation(BCOS), the television station's reporter, reported that INEC in the state received about 600 applications from media organizations, but only had media kits for 251 journalists. 251 reporters to cover elections in Oyo state alone ?
Sadly, in past elections,the state office of INEC had given accreditation to individuals who do not have any business in journalism, to cover the elections, for purposes that were at variance with the conduct of free, fair and credible elections.
Nigeria Independent National Electoral Commission Election Media Journalists