By Our Correspondent
Media professionals have called on the political class in Nigeria to shun violence, embrace peace, and exhibit the spirit of sportsmanship whenever they lose at the polls.
They made the call at a Public Lecture organised by the Lagos State Council of Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ).
TheNewsZenith reports that the theme of the lecture is “Post Election Nigeria: Paths To National Restoration and Peace”. The lecture is one of the main activities lined up for the 2023 NUJ Press Week.
The Guest Speaker, Prof. Sunday Alawode, tasked Journalists to be patriotic in discharging their duties. According to him, an ill-motivated story can tear the country apart.
Alawode, who is Dean of Faculty of Communication and Media Studies at Lagos State University (LASU), said elections should not be seen as a war in Nigeria.
“ Loosers should be able to imbibe the spirit of sportsmanship because they can win some other time.
“As journalists, we should build a Nigeria of our dreams that we can bequeath to our children.
“Government should be about meeting the needs of Nigerians and not for furthering personal gains,” he said.
He urged the government to speedily tackle corruption, poverty and insecurity to confront the challenges bedevilling Nigeria.
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“Nigeria needs strong institutions to move forward just as we need to hold those in government accountable,” Alawode said.
He urged media owners to insure their journalists, saying many have died on the job, leaving families hopeless.
Welcoming guests to the event, NUJ Chairman, Mr Adeleye Ajayi said 2023 general elections raised many issues that are still being pursued, several months after the poll.
“The 2023 General Elections have brought different issues in its aftermath. This is because many court cases are still ongoing against the election outcome.
“Nigeria has a long history of violence during elections, which sadly manifested again in 2023.
“Closely related to violence was the suppression of voters, also known as deliberate disenfranchisement of eligible voters, Ajayi said.
The chairman noted that the increased use of technology in Nigeria has reduced election rigging.
He listed previous election flaws to include ballot box snatching and stuffing, multiple voting, over voting and alteration of results.
He further listed insufficient voter education and logistical challenges as some of the grey areas of the 2023 General Elections.
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Ajayi alluded to some positive outcomes from the 2023 polls, which he credited to the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Mahmood Yakubu.
At the post-election review of the 2023 general elections with media stakeholders in Lagos, he quoted Yakubu as saying many positive things came out of the 2023 elections despite many challenges.
The NUJ Chairman advised political stakeholders to address lapses in the 2023 elections for better outcomes in subsequent elections. “This is to chart a path for restoration and peace in the country.
Chairman of the Occasion, Mr Martins Oloja, urged Nigerians to be hopeful of a better country.
Oloja, who is also the Managing Director/Editor-in-Chief at Guardian Newspapers, noted that “National Orientation is key for us to believe in ourselves and Nigeria.
“The journey to total restoration may be far, we need to have faith in our country and profession,” he advised.
The chairman said journalism remained the best global profession “because the media is capable of calling the three arms of government (Executive, Legislature and Judiciary) to order whenever the need arises”.
According to him, the media is majorly responsible for building content for restoration and peace. He added that media practitioners should not let political flaws blow them away.
A panel of discussants, comprising the President of the Guild of Online Publishers, Ms Maureen Chigbo; Former Deputy Editor-in-Chief, at the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr Peter Dada and the Director of Public Affairs, Lagos State Government, Mr Shina Odunuga took time to respond to questions at the event.
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