Politics
Jega Charges Political Parties On Use Of Social Media
Former chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission(INEC) Prof. Attahiru Jega, has urged political parties to use social media to create awareness on their policies and programmes rather than misinform the electorate.
Jega said this at the presentation of key findings of a UK-Nigerian research team on the role of WhatsApp in Nigeria’s 2019 elections on Monday in Abuja.
He said that social media could be used as an agent of growth and development, adding ‘lots of people abuse and misuse it.”
“The key challenge is how to understand how to put it to good use whether for political mobilisation, civil or political education by sharing credible news rather than fake news.
“This research basically tried to help us understand how Nigerians are using WhatsApp as a platform for either electioneering campaigns or for general political activities.
“I think it is good to begin to pay greater attention to WhatsApp and do more research on the bad uses and good uses of social media and how we can improve on the good ones.
“I will like to see a situation where increasingly credible news are used on the platform rather than fake news and political parties and candidates can use these platforms to publicise their policies and programmes and what they can do rather than use it in a manner in which they abuse opponents,” he said.
Jega said that it is important that politicians use social media for good deeds to add value to Nigeria’s political space and add worth to the integrity of its elections.
Ms Idayat Hassan, Director, Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD) said that the most pressing thing that the government needed to do in terms of countering fake news and misinformation is to be open.
Hassan said that when government leverage on the Open Government Partnership (OGP) and make information available to all,there would be less fake news because information would be readily available for people to access.
“This is a major challenge that must be tackled because most times what happened is that when there are fake news, people can’t even reach out to government officials for clarity so it spreads wider.
“Fake news spreads like wild fire, because you are dealing with information that one person has created and within few hours it’s all over the country so the solution is a ready information on issues,” he said.
Hassan stressed the need to begin civil digital literacy campaigns in schools and other places to tell people the danger associated with fake news.
The lead researcher on the WhatsApp study,Dr Jonathan Fisher, University of Birmingham, said that the report showed that the social media had some good and bad influence in the 2019 elections.
Fisher said that while it was used to spread fake news,it was also used to mobilise support for candidates by groups like the Buhari New Media Centre (BNMC) and Atikulated Youth Force (AYF).
“Social media platforms are both a threat to democracy and a way to strengthen it. WhatsApp is being used to spread “fake news” on the one hand, and run fact-checking campaigns and election observation on the other.
“The challenge is to reduce risks without undermining the way that social media can strengthen accountability and promote inclusion,” he said.
Fisher said that the research findings suggest both short and longer-term recommendations like making it easier to leave an anonymous WhatsApp group and investing in fact-checking initiatives that work in local languages.
He also called for digital literacy training for influencers among others.
The Tide source reports that Prof. Akinoso was elected alongside 38 other executive members of the party at the congress held on Saturday.
Other executive members are Dr Abiola Olaonipekun, who emerged as Secretary, Alhaja Latifah Latifu, Women Leader and Mr A. Adeleke, elected as Youth Leader.
It was learnt that the congress, which took place at the Obafemi Awolowo Stadium, Oke Ado in Ibadan, was attended by representatives of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Police, other security agencies and prominent members of the party.
The election was supervised by electoral committee members, among whom were Prince Diran Odeyemi, who served as Chairman, Hon. Awoniyi Tolulope, Mr Babatunde Gbadamosi, Queen Stepheine Oyechere, Alhaji Yusuf Abidakun, Mr Olumide Aguda and Dr Phillips Adeniyi, who served as Secretary.
Prof. Akinoso, in his inaugural address, urged members of the party to set aside intra-party differences.
He advised them to concentrate their resources on the promotion of the party, saying, “The primary responsibilities of party executive members are to coordinate party activities, ensure harmony among members, and ensure party victory during general elections.
“Our immediate assignments are to key into INEC released 2027 general election time-tables. As directed by the National Caretaker Committee of PDP, our party e-membership registration starts next week. We must be fully involved and do a membership drive.
“A political party is only relevant and benefits its members if it wins the election. This is our goal. We should set aside intra-party differences; concentrate our resources towards the promotion of the party. We will make necessary consultations and dialogue to actualise this”.
President Tinubu disclosed this during an interfaith breaking of fast with senior journalists and media executives at the Presidential Villa in Abuja on Saturday.
He also disclosed that his administration had opened up on the principles of true federalism to the extent that local governments now get direct allocation from the Federal Government.
“There’s no morning that I ever leave my house without going through the newspapers. It’s an addiction. I read all of you.
“It might not be in full detail, but headline, the one that would hit me and the ones that won’t.
“At the beginning of this administration, I was just a little bit stubborn, looking at opportunities to correct things and make life more easier for the downtrodden.
“We’ve opened up the principle of federalism to the extent that local governments are now getting their money, but how they use it is in your hands. So, don’t bombard me alone,” President Tinubu said.
The ruling party said the ADC had turned criticism of the APC-led administration into its operating manifesto instead of presenting concrete solutions to Nigeria’s economic challenges.
In a statement issued on Saturday by the APC National Publicity Secretary, Mr Felix Morka, the party dismissed the ADC’s interpretation of a report presented at a policy dialogue organised by Agora Policy which suggested that the country’s poverty rate had risen from 49 per cent to 63 per cent.
Mr Morka said the opposition party’s reaction to the report as a “damning verdict” on the government’s economic policies reflected either ignorance of economic realities or deliberate political mischief.
“The African Democratic Congress’ attempt to spin a recent report presented at the Agora Policy dialogue indicating a rise of poverty rate of 63 per cent from 49 per cent as a damning verdict on this administration’s economic policies speaks either to its shocking ignorance of economic policy or its wilful blindness to the justification for, and transformative impacts of, ongoing economic reforms,” he said.
The APC spokesman noted that the report itself recognised the necessity of reforms aimed at correcting long-standing structural distortions in the economy.
According to him, the ADC had failed to present any credible alternative policy direction for Nigerians.
“Clearly, the ADC does not recognise itself as a political party. The ADC has not articulated a single alternative policy position or prescription of benefit to Nigerians. Condemning the APC and its policies has become its operating manifesto,” Mr Morka said.
He explained that major economic decisions taken by President Bola Tinubu, including the removal of fuel subsidy and the unification of multiple foreign exchange windows, were necessary steps to rescue the country’s economy from collapse.
Mr Morka said the subsidy regime had for years placed a heavy burden on public finances, consuming trillions of naira annually while encouraging corruption, fuel smuggling and inefficiencies in the system.
He added that the reforms had helped redirect national resources to key sectors such as infrastructure, healthcare, education and social development.
The APC spokesman acknowledged that economic reforms often come with short-term hardship but stressed that the measures were essential to build a stronger and more resilient economy.
“Economic reform is never cost-free anywhere in the world. The transient hardship experienced by Nigerians was an inevitable cost of reforms meant to build and guarantee a better future for all Nigerians,” he said.
Mr Morka maintained that the country’s economic outlook was already improving, citing recent growth figures and stronger external reserves.
“Our economy has rebounded and is expanding steadily. The country’s Gross Domestic Product grew by 4.4 per cent last year and is projected to expand by 5.5 per cent this fiscal year, with foreign reserves now exceeding $50 billion,” he stated.
He also pointed to government initiatives designed to cushion the effects of economic adjustments on citizens, including cash transfer programmes, student loan schemes and the rollout of compressed natural gas (CNG) initiatives to reduce transportation costs.
Mr Morka reaffirmed that the APC-led administration would remain focused on rebuilding the economy and expanding social investments to support vulnerable Nigerians.
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