Coalition rejects anti-media provision in proposed electoral law

By Joseph Jibueze

A coalition of civil society organisations has rejected a provision in the proposed amendment to the Electoral Act 2010 that imposes “draconian” sanctions on the media and editors.

In the proposed amendment bill to the Electoral Act before the National Assembly, Section 100 (6 (a) provides that the fine for media houses that contravene the law on election reporting should be increased to N2millon from N500,000 in the first instance and N5million from N1million upon a subsequent conviction.

Sub-section (b) further provides that “principal officers and other officers of the media house” are liable to “a fine of N2 million or to imprisonment for a term of 12 months.”

Section 100 mandates the media to provide equal space to all political parties and candidates during an election.

At a briefing in Lagos, the coalition said: “The penalty for contravention of the provisions in Section 100 should be restricted to the offending entity (the media house). It should not be extended to the ‘principal officers’ and ‘other officers’ of the media house.”

Members of the coalition include the Institute for Media and Society (IMS), International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Citizens with Disability (CCD), Inclusive Friends Association, National Institute for Policy and Strategic Studies (NIPSS), Nigeria Women’s Trust Fund and the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre (PLAC).  They added: “Public media (broadcast and print) should grant the usually underserved and marginalised groups, particularly women and people with disabilities (PWDs), special discounted airtime/advert rates during election campaigns.”

The groups sought the strengthening of the financial and operational independence of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC); publication of polling unit level results by INEC to promote transparency in the results process; and legitimising the use of technology in the electoral process through electronic accreditation of voters, electronic voting, electronic collation and transmission of results.

“Nigerians deserve a new Electoral Act in which citizens aspirations are prioritised and which is produced through adequate timely attention of the National Assembly,” the civil society members said.