Participants at a day public enlightenment programme on electoral laws and media partnership for general electoral reforms, organised by Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa (PAACA), in Uyo, Akwa Ibom State, Wednesday.
By Akanimo Kufre
April 25, 2024
A Civil Society Organization (CSO), Peering Advocacy and Advancement Center in Africa (PAACA), is pioneering an early public enlightenment programme on electoral laws and media partnership for general electoral reforms.
Speaking after a day training for Media, Traditional and Religious Institutions in Uyo, the Executive Director of PAACA, Mr Ezenwa Nwagwu, said experience in town hall meetings indicate that majority of Nigerians are not aware of the details of the Electoral Act, yet every one would talk about elections and the processes.
Mr Nwagwu, who desired that most Nigerians and politicians understand and own copies of the Electoral Act, according to him, is to secure good democratic dividends through wholesome participation in peaceful and fair elections in 2027 as well as local government elections.
“The public should know that election is a law guided process. You can not do elections without understanding the legal framework and the ignorance of the legal framework is the reason why you saw most of the outcry in 2023. There are issues, but the truth of the matter is that if people understood more, invested more in electoral education and knowledge perhaps most of the outcry may not be necessary.”
The PAACA boss also stressed the importance of supporting the media to actualize the vision through training and partnership.
“The media training became necessary as part of the lessons learned during 2023 elections and also the need to improve on the legal framework that currently exists. It is also an avenue to see if there are possibilities for electoral education and knowledge.
“We are working together with MacArthur Foundation, PLAC and WRAPA to spread understanding of the need for inclusive elections, the need for knowledge, and there are no better people to partner with than the media. If we territorialize relationships, we would not make an impact, it is the media that provides that voice and a strong voice for that matter to be able to shift things in the society, especially issues around good governance and elections.”
Apart from direct engagement with the populace through organized town hall meetings, PAACA also expressed confidence in the media to deliver on the job because of their previous role during the campaigns against colonialism and military dictatorships in Africa.
One of the participating journalists who reacted in an interview said it was an exciting experience to be part of the electoral reforms, noting, “I find it interesting to shoulder the responsibility to enlighten the public on election matters once again”. The journalist who reports for a local newspaper also saw the need for early and effective engagement of the electorate as very essential as the next election approaches. He further appreciated PAACA for partnership with the media in Akwa Ibom and Nigeria in general.
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