Statement of Broad Principles

I. The Government

• The government at all levels, its agencies and officials, shall ensure the safety of journalists during electoral processes, including refraining from assault or intimidation in any manner whatsoever;
• The government at all levels and its relevant agencies shall ensure prompt investigation and prosecution of any individual or group accused of assault, harassment, intimidation or other crimes against the media and journalists during electoral processes;
• The government at all levels, its agencies and officials shall channel any complaint over the conduct of journalists, including during electoral processes, to the appropriate regulatory or legal institutions and refrain from extra-judicial actions or other forms of self-help;
• The government at all levels, its agencies and officials shall ensure the free movement of journalists in any part of the country during electoral processes and refrain from any act likely to inhibit such;
• The government at all levels shall abide by institutional, regulatory and legal frameworks requiring equitable access to state media by political parties and candidates contesting elections.

II. Political Parties

• Political parties shall respect the right of journalists to cover and report their activities and, accordingly grant them reasonable access to their events and officials for this purpose, while refraining from harassing or intimidating them in any manner whatsoever;
• Political parties should support the investigation of any act of assault, harassment, intimidation or other crimes against the media and journalists by their members or agents and ensure that alleged perpetrators are promptly brought to justice;
• Political parties shall channel any complaint arising from the conduct of journalists covering their activities to the appropriate regulatory or legal institutions and refrain from extra-judicial actions or any other form of self-help;
• Political parties shall provide prompt notification and adequate information about their activities;
• Political parties shall not offer bribes or other forms of inducement to journalists to publish or suppress information about themselves or their activities.

III. The Election Management Bodies (INEC and SIEC)

• The Election management bodies; (Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) in each of the thirty-six States of the federation, shall proactively provide the media and journalists with information on their activities, election timetables, arrangements for the elections, voting procedures and processes, and other information related to the electoral process to aid the factual and credible reporting of electoral processes;
• The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) shall provide information and materials to the media to enable them carry out accurate and effective civic and voter education;
• The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) should support capacity building for journalists and other media professionals on election reporting;
• The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and State Independent Electoral Commission (SIEC) shall make electoral information freely available to the media to enhance factual and credible reporting of electoral processes;

IV. Civil Society Organisations and Media Support Groups

• CSOs, including Media Support Groups, shall collaborate with the media on the conduct of civic and voter education;
• CSOs, including Media Support Groups, shall support capacity building for Journalists and other media professionals on election reporting;
• CSOs, including Media Support Groups, shall take proactive measures in the defense of the right of the media and journalists to freely report electoral processes without any form of harassment or intimidation;
• CSOs, including Media Support Groups, shall proactively share reports of their observations of electoral processes with the media.