Media Will Play Crucial Role In Anambra Governorship Election—INEC.

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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said that the media will play a vital role in the success of the November 8 Anambra governorship election by providing the public with factual and reliable information.

Mr Wilfred Ifogah, the Deputy Director of Publicity at INEC, made this known on Wednesday during an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Awka.

Ifogah stated that media professionals serve as the mirror of society, reflecting the collective conscience of the people.

“The commission appreciates and values the services of the media in ensuring accurate and unbiased information to the public by enabling the people to have factual information on the commission’s electoral expectations.

“We do not want any smearing of the electoral integrity through fake news and misinformation, false stories, manipulated videos, and unverified claims that can create unnecessary tension and erode public trust,” he said.

The deputy director explained that the INEC team for the Anambra governorship election, scheduled for November 8, was already in the state for a week-long preparation to ensure a smooth and credible process.

He said that the commission had brought together journalists in the state to establish a partnership and shared commitment to strengthening democracy through accurate reporting and responsible communication.

He added that INEC had engaged the media ahead of the poll to reaffirm its preparedness and demonstrate its readiness to conduct a transparent and credible election in Anambra.

Ifogah appealed to editors, reporters, producers, and other broadcast professionals to support the commission by providing quality voter education through their news reports.

He noted that the commission’s media engagement forum was designed to strengthen collaboration, prevent misinformation, and promote greater awareness of voter education among citizens.

According to him, the media, as the watchdog of society, must work closely with INEC to rebuild public confidence in the commission’s electoral processes.

He disclosed that non-sensitive election materials had already been distributed, while sensitive materials would be delivered to the state at the appropriate time under strict security.

Ifogah stated that INEC, in line with its commitment to credible and inclusive elections, had developed a comprehensive plan covering logistics, technology, training, stakeholder engagement, and security coordination.

“The commission is in Anambra for a week-long readiness assessment visit which will feature meetings with key stakeholders, including the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), transport unions, and a mock accreditation exercise that will be held on Saturday, Nov. 2.

“INEC is ready and fully committed to conducting a free, fair, and credible election in Anambra state.

“The Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) from the recently conducted Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise in Anambra are ready for collection from Wednesday, Oct. 22, to Sunday, Oct. 26.

“Anambra residents who registered in the last exercise are encouraged to visit their wards where they registered to collect their PVCs; there is no collection by proxy,” he said.

Ifogah called on journalists to continue partnering with INEC through consistent coverage and sensitisation to encourage registrants to collect their PVCs and participate actively in the election.

He further urged the media to cooperate with INEC in preventing the spread of false or harmful information that could undermine the forthcoming election and the commission’s integrity.

The INEC deputy director also appealed to Anambra residents to turn out massively to vote, noting that accreditation and voting would begin at 8:30 a.m. and end at 2:30 p.m., or continue until the last person on the queue had voted.