Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS), a German foundation has urged media practitioners in the country to be honest in their reportage of the 2019 general poll.
KAS Resident Representative in Nigeria, Dr Vladimir Kreck, gave the charge, on Friday, in an interview with the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) in Abuja.
According to the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s timetable, the Presidential and National Assembly election would hold on Saturday, Feb. 16 while Governorship and State Houses of Assembly election is slated for March 2.
Kreck said the role of the media in ensuring free, fair and peaceful election is to observe and report the electoral process objectively.
‘’The media role is to be an observer. They should observe how the elections are conducted, report about the way they have been conducted and above all, report very honestly about the way they have been conducted.
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‘’The report should not be in favour of one party or the other; not in favour of one candidate or the other candidate but how it was objectively done,” he said.
He called on the candidates in Saturday’s poll to accept the outcome of the election peacefully or seek redress in court without inciting violence.
‘’My advice to the candidates for 2019 elections is either to accept if they believe that the elections were free, fair and credible.
‘’However, they have the right to challenge the election in court but that must be done in a peaceful way,” he remarked.
KAS resident representative enjoined the electorate to cast their votes without being induced.
‘’My advice to Nigerians is to cast their votes and to cast their votes independently from any offer; financial or any other promises to them.
‘’They should exercise their right on the basis of their personally assessment on who will govern the country in the next four years in a better way,” he said.
