The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Ogun State has lamented low turnout of journalists’ fir accreditation in the upcoming bye-elections scheduled for Saturday, August 16, 2025.
Penpushing reports that Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi made this known in a statement titled, ‘Media Accreditation for 2025 Bye-Election’, stating that as at Wednesday July 23, 2025, the commission received only 12 applications for 91 persons expected accreditation to cover the elections
The Director lamented that the turn out was far below expectation and appealed to the practicing journalists to take advantage of the remaining window to apply for accreditation which has been extended to July 31, 2025
‘It will be recalled that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) opened its online media accreditation portal on Tuesday, 8th July 2025, to facilitate the participation of media organisations and journalists in the coverage of the upcoming bye-elections scheduled for Saturday, 16th August 2025’, the statement reads.
‘As of 3:00 pm today, Wednesday, 23rd July 2025, the Commission has received only 12 applications for 91 persons seeking accreditation to cover the elections. This turnout, so far, is far below expectations’, it added.
‘The Commission hereby urges interested media organisations, print, broadcast, and online, to take advantage of the remaining window to apply for accreditation via the designated portal: https://imap.inecnigeria.org.
‘The portal will remain open until 12:00 am (midnight) on Thursday, 31st July 2025, after which it will automatically shut down. Late applications will not be entertained under any circumstances’.
Penpushing further reports that the statement said the commission reiterated the vital role of the media in ensuring transparency and accountability in the electoral process, stressing that election coverage is a professional duty that contributes significantly to democratic consolidation.
‘For further enquiries, applicants may contact the commission via the following numbers: 07088844564 or 08032861058. Let us work together to deepen public trust through timely, balanced, and professional reporting of the electoral process’, Eta-Messi wrote
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