The International Press Centre (IPC) has said rebuilding trust is essential to national building and also to getting the electoral processes and elections right.
The Executive Director of the Centre, Mr Lanre Arogundade, who gave the insight at a one-day multi-stakeholders dialogue organised by the IPC on Monday, also informed that without trust, getting the electoral process right in the next round of off-cycle governorship elections in Edo and Ondo states this year and that of Anambra state in 2025 and even in the larger 2027 general elections might be difficult.
The European Union-funded programme “Multi-stakeholders Dialogue on Rebuilding Trust in the Electoral Process, Institutions, and Elections” was organised with the support of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme (EU-SDGN 11).
In his welcome address, Arogundade said, “Perception-wise, misconception-wise, and reality-wise, it cannot be denied that some contentious issues arising from the 2023 elections have created mistrust amongst some Nigerians.
It is in the public domain that the 2023 election was marred with some unexpected challenges, which ordinarily shouldn’t overshadow its significant milestones, including the meticulous preparation and the use of technology via BVAS, which remain highly commendable.
As in journalism, bad news spreads faster than good news. Some of those challenges have elicited local and international observations, including the one led by the European Union, the European Union Election Observation Mission in particular, which highlighted the element of weaning public confidence and trust in the electoral process.
The media should be fair, accurate, ethical, and inclusive in their coverage and reporting of electoral processes and elections. Let me conclude by asking this other question: Are we as journalists doing enough to live up to the basis of social responsibility by being factually accurate, sensitive, and setting the citizens’ agenda when reporting elections? I posit in this welcome address that the task of building trust in the electoral process is a collective responsibility.”
An election administration expert and the programme chair, Professor Okechukwu Ibeanu, said trust is fundamental to every society, just as it is the building block of electoral processes.
The issue of trust in an election, he stated, is not only about the INEC but also about political parties, security agencies, the media, and the voters.
He said, “The question of trust is fundamental. It is fundamental to society at large, and once it is not there, everything will give way. Trust is just a feeling, belief, and expectation that the right thing will be done and the wrong thing will be prevented.
It is something that, if given, can be taken away. If the public withdraws their trust, then it makes you question the legitimacy of those institutions, because once trust falls below a particular level, there is a question about the legitimacy of those institutions.
How does this apply to elections? It is an expectation that those who manage an election and electoral stakeholders generally will do the right thing and desist from doing the wrong thing. This is not just about the election management body; it is also not just about other agencies that are involved but about the political parties, the media, and the voters.”
Speaking on the role of critical stakeholders in rebuilding trust in electoral processes, institutions, and elections in Nigeria, Professor of African History, Peace, and Conflict Studies at the Institute for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ibadan, Prof. Isaac Albert, said the shortcoming, perception, and reportage of the outcome of the 2023 general elections were exaggerated.
He said, “The patience for us to allow our leaders to come up with creative solutions to our problems is not there. So, in other words, the trust between society and the state is weak. The people no longer trust their leaders.
But as we are struggling to make the people trust their leaders, the question is, are these leaders trustworthy? Are they behaving in ways that could be trusted?
In trust building, there must be long-term relationship building, effective communication, honouring commitment, removing anything that creates unhealthy vulnerability, and being ready to help ourselves, stand up for what is right, and be transparent. Above all, we must be the change we want to see in others.”
Representing the INEC chairman, Prof. Yakubu Mahmood, and the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ayobami Salami, he appealed to all stakeholders to join hands in protecting the country’s democracy and improving the electoral processes.
He said, “I am very happy about what the keynote speaker said: that there is no alternative to democracy and that elections are very important, but if there is no alternative to democracy and elections are very important and we have a trust deficit, then it means we have a big problem in our hands. We must come together to protect our democracy and improve our electoral processes.”
Representative of the Director General of the National Broadcasting Commission, NBC, Mr Raphael Akpan, said the country has witnessed a decline in trust in electoral processes.
He said, “In recent times, we have witnessed a decline in trust in our electoral processes, such as the proliferation of fake news, hate speech, electoral violence, misinformation, and disinformation disseminated through various media, including social media platforms.
This not only sows the seed of discord but also undermines the credibility of elections and public confidence in the electoral system. As regulatory bodies, we are committed to bombarding the spread of misinformation and hate speech while safeguarding the fundamental right to freedom of expression.”
The National Chairman of the Inter-Party Advisory Council (IPAC), Hon. Yusuf Dantalle, described politics in Nigeria as a business for the political class. This, according to him, explains the lack of trust of the people in the institutions.
He said, “In Nigeria, a political office transforms the economic status of political office holders. What this means is that politics in Nigeria is business. It is not a service to the people. When you have that, it will be difficult to trust. This is about all of us. It is not only about INEC, the media, politicians, or security agencies alone. We must own this country collectively. Nobody will come and fix Nigeria for us unless we decide to. We don’t know what this country is; unless we go outside the country, then you will know that you are a king in Nigeria.”
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