The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) penalized 25 stations and gave final warnings to 16 others for breaking provisions of the Nigeria Broadcasting Law during the Presidential and National Assembly elections on February 25, 2023.
As a result, the regulator punished broadcasters for lack of professionalism during this weekend’s governorship and legislative elections.
It reminded broadcasters that political campaigns and jingles must end tomorrow and that only results announced by an authorized election officer should be broadcast.
Balarabe Ilelah, Director General of NBC, stated yesterday in Abuja that a station was sanctioned for broadcasting the election results before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announcement, in violation of Section 5.33 of the NBC Code, while 17 others were axed for broadcasting partisan content after the prescribed 24-hour stoppage time, and four outfits were punished for divisive comments.
He stated that while monitoring the recently concluded presidential election, NBC discovered that some stations allowed their platforms to be used by guests, callers, and analysts to score political points against “our corporate existence,” adding that ethnic and religious profiling became extremely common.
Ilelah advised broadcasters to use their freedom of expression as agents of society, rather than to promote personal or sectional rights, privileges, or those of their owners, family, or supporters, as stated in Section 3.1.3 of the Nigeria Broadcasting Law.
He stressed that no one could frighten the regulator and urged civil society organizations (CSOs) to let it perform its job.
