A socio-political advocacy and grassroots mobilisation group, the Peoples Democratic Party-Grassroots Support Base of Nigeria (PDP-GSBN), has urged the chairman and officials of the Rivers State Independent Electoral Commission (RSIEC) to always disseminate accurate and factual information in the media.
This is contained in a statement released in Port Harcourt, shortly after the group’s State Executive Council (SEC) meeting, signed by its Coordinator, Comrade Joseph Opusunju; Deputy Coordinator, Dr. John Okoroafor; Secretary, Comrade Asitona Emine; and Director, Media and Publicity, Pastor Bethel Toby respectively.
The group admonished RSIEC and its officials on how to always disseminate information without causing any havoc for the electoral commission, especially concerning the forth-coming Local Government elections scheduled for October 5, 2024 across the 23 Local Government Areas of the state.
Noting that communication was very important, the group urged officials of the commission to always avoid any utterance or use of words that can make the public to misunderstand their message.
It said all RSIEC officials must be able to communicate more and better than ensuring that they have deeper knowledge of what they want to speak about before engaging the media to ensure effective communication.
The group continued that “the basic requirements for appearing on television are knowledge in communicative ability, information capability, intelligence, screen presence, interactive ability, diligence, comportment, respect, decency, dignity and humility”.
While stressing the need for RSIEC officials to always consider the image of the electoral commission while dealing with media and the publics, the group said: “the issue of corporate image is encapsulated in both perpetual, physical, financial, reputation and social assets”.
The group stressed that it is all about brand equity and stakeholders relationship and engagement profile.
“A good corporate image is indeed magnetic across the broad spectrum of stakeholders”, ut stated.
The organization implored RSIEC officials to always ensure that they engage journalists effectively and speak objectively by giving accurate facts and figures whenever they speak to media practitioners.
It also advised them not to be temperamental or lose control whenever they are speaking to the media on any controversial issue, but rather be calm and present their points logically with facts and figures.
Meanwhile, the group described Rivers State Governor, Sir Siminalayi Fubara, as the saviour of the state’s and Nigeria’s democracy.
It said “but for Fubara’s administrative and political sagacity to grow and expand, as manifested in the manner he handled the crisis that engulfed the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) in the state, immediately after the 2023 governorship elections, the party would have been destroyed and that would have dealt a mortal blow to this democratic dispensation”.
The body also stated that the dogged and resilient manner with which Fubara handled PDP crisis peacefully, despite distractions, insisting on peaceful co-existence, fairness, equity and accommodation, was what maintained the balance and boosted the party’s attractiveness.

Theresa Frederick