NBC sanctions 25 broadcast stations for ‘announcing election results’, warns others
By Abimbola Mohammed
Balarabe Ilelah, the Director General (DG), The National Broadcasting Commission, (NBC), has disclosed during a press conference in Abuja today that the commission has confirmed that it sanctioned 25 broadcast stations while 16 others were given final warning over the 2023 Presidential and National Assembly elections coverage.
The DG, Ilelah, warned broadcast stations to adhere strictly to its broadcast code, the Electoral Act as well as other extant laws governing the coverage and reportage of the 2023 general polls in the Saturday March 18, 2023 Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
According to Ilelah, one of the stations was sanctioned for broadcasting the results of the election before the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) officially announced the results, saying that the action of the station contravened Section 5.33 of the NBC code.
Ilelah explained that 17 stations were sanctioned for broadcasting partisan party content after the prescribed 24-hour stoppage time by NBC, while four stations were sanctioned for divisive comments.
It could be recalled that on March 10 NBC threatened to shut down any broadcast station that airs programmes that offend the peaceful co-existence in the country.
The NBC’s spokesman, Ekanem Antia, had stated that the Commission’s DG, Ilelah, issued a warning against such peace-threatening activities at a meeting with broadcast stations on the coverage of the 2023 general elections.
“The NBC is giving its last warning to broadcast stations and will not hesitate to shut or revoke the license of any when convinced that its activities are capable of undermining the peaceful co-existence of the country. Any further breaches of the Nigeria Broadcasting Code and Act will no longer be tolerated,” he had said.
According to him, the Commission monitored the coverage of the February 25 Presidential and National Assembly elections by some broadcast stations and noted how they availed unpatriotic individuals their platforms to make subversive, hateful and inciting utterances, particularly post-election.
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