By Olamilekan FAWAS
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has urged all broadcasting stations that would cover the Ekiti Governorship elections to do so in conformity with the provisions of the Broadcasting Code.
The Director-General of NBC, Malam Is’haq Modibbo Kawu, in a statement on Tuesday in Abuja, stressed the need for broadcasting stations to respect the provisions relating to coverage of elections.
He drew the attention of broadcasters to the following sections of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
“Section 5.2. and Section 12 stipulated that all partisan political broadcasts, campaigns, jingles, announcements and the use of all forms of partisan political party identifications or symbols on air shall end not later than twenty-four hours before polling day.
“Also sections 5.2 and 14 stated that a broadcaster shall not use any vote obtained at different polling stations or from exit polls, to project or speculate on the chances of the candidates.
“Similarly, sections 5.2 and 15 stated that a broadcaster shall broadcast election results or declaration of the winner only as announced by the authorised electoral officer for the election,” he said.
The DG said all broadcast stations had a duty to promote sustainable democracy in Nigeria and warned that appropriate sanctions would be meted out to any erring station that operates outside the confines of the code.
“This is in accordance with section 14.0.1 which states that the commission shall impose sanctions for any breach arising from monitoring and all complaints received on the content or conduct of a broadcast station.”
Kawu, therefore, reiterated that broadcast organisations were expected to exercise freedom of expression as agents of society, not for any personal or sectional rights, privileges and needs of their own or of their proprietors, relatives, or supporters as highlighted in the Nigeria Broadcasting Code.
