‘NASS Electoral Tribunals Underreported’ – CSOs

• A coalition of civil society organizations (CSOs) has urged journalists to provide thorough coverage of the ongoing National Assembly Election Tribunal sittings across the country
• The coalition’s convener, Amb. Chibuzo Okereke, lamented the lack of coverage of the National Assembly tribunals
• Okereke stated that approximately half of the 469 seats in the National Assembly are being challenged at various Tribunals across the country

A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has urged journalists to provide thorough coverage of the ongoing National Assembly Election Tribunal sittings across the country.

The call was made yesterday in Abuja by the African Parliamentary Advocates and Reform Group (APARG) in collaboration with the Coalition of Parliamentary Advocates and Democracy Consolidation in Nigeria (COPADECON).

At a press conference, the coalition’s convener, Amb. Chibuzo Okereke lamented the lack of coverage of the National Assembly tribunals.

He stated that the legislature, as the centre of democracy, is the closest arm of government to the people and the only one that provides the most direct representation of citizens. Despite the critical role that national and sub-national legislatures play in a democratic system like Nigeria’s, he believes that Nigerians’ interest in this vital branch of government leaves much to be desired.

We have once again, observed and are concerned about what again appears to be an untended suppression and low interest of the major media organisations in the proceedings of the National Assembly Election Petition Tribunals.

Whereas the various flagship platforms of major media organisations are daily saturated with the reportage of the proceedings of the Presidential Election Petition Tribunals, little or no attention has been channeled toward the interesting and intriguing proceedings that have characterised the NAEPT.

The fourth estate of the realm which is the media, is saddled with the responsibility of setting the agenda, enlightening the public, and obligation of accountability of government to the people has unfortunately not shown the required interest in the coverage of the proceedings of the tribunals, he said. 

According to Okereke, approximately half of the 469 seats in the National Assembly are being challenged at various Tribunals across the country, but little or no attention is being paid to the coverage.