of news by newsmen is repugnant .The current trend in the country is
similar to what obtained during the “Libertarian Age” where a public
officer hardly expects a fair deal from an opposition news organ.
Unfortunately, media organizations in the country have seemingly aligned
themselves along interest lines. A typical case is a recent news report by
one of the adjudged reputable media organizations in the country on the
Abia Governorship Election Petition.
Newsmen, though human beings, are strongly expected to separate themselves
from news reports. In the report entitled “ABIA Gov. election petition:
Court of Appeal judgment dims PDP’s hope “, the author of the report
glaringly and convincingly demonstrated partiality. It is interesting when
newsmen demonstrate the ability to separate news from comments; get facts
of a story and present same with as much detachment as possible, especially
when handling a critical issue such as an election petition.
It is an incontrovertible fact in news reporting that the headline always
agree with the body of the story. But in this instance, the author just
took off and rambled through the story and finally landed in a destination
that has no link with the starting point.
The story borders on the recent dismissal of two appeals filed by the
Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) in Abia State against the governorship
candidate of the All Progressives Grand Alliance (APGA) in the April
general elections, Dr. Alex Otti, and his party by the Court of Appeal,
sitting in Owerri, Imo State.
It will be recalled that the appeals originated from a decision of the Abia
State Governorship Election Petition Tribunal, sitting in Umuahia, to take
all the preliminary objections, filed by the litigants, along with the
judgment of the substantive petition.
But dissatisfied with the tribunal’s decision, the party headed for the
Court of Appeal, urging it to set aside the decision of the tribunal and
compel it to deliver ruling on the pending motions.
In one of the motions, PDP urged the tribunal to strike out Otti’s petition
on the grounds that it was not duly signed and that the necessary fees were
not paid in compliance with the provisions of the Electoral Act 2010, as
amended.
The multi- million question is “does the dismissal of the appeals dim
Ikpeazu and PDP’s hope in the tribunal as suggested by the author of the
report?
A lawyer, Ugochukwu Amaraizu in his position maintained that the
development has no atom of effect on PDP’s chances at the tribunal.
In his words:”Why did PDP and IKPEAZU go to the Appeal Court in the first
place? At what stage of the matter at the Tribunal did they go to Appeal?
“It will be recalled that the said appeals were filed when the Tribunal,
after hearing the Motions of all the parties including the Petitioners,
decided to suspend its Ruling till the conclusion of evidence. The Tribunal
immediately went into hearing by asking the Petitioners to open their case.
PDP and Ikpeazu quickly ran to Court of Appeal praying them to Order the
Tribunal to deliver Rulings on those Motions.
“Unfortunately, before the Appeal Court could deliver its judgment, even
Ikpeazu, PDP and INEC equally opened and concluded their case. At that
stage, the purpose of heading to the Appeal Court was defeated. PDP
actually wanted the Appeal Court to order the Tribunal to deliver and
thereafter know whether it has jurisdiction to proceed into hearing or not.
But the Tribunal already concluded hearing on the day the Court of Appeal
delivered its first judgment. The Appeal Court relied on paragraph 12(5) of
the 2nd Schedule to the Electoral Act to hold that the Tribunal was right
to suspend Ruling on those Motions till judgment.
“The judgment of the Appeal Court did not tamper with the Motions already
heard at the Tribunal. The Court of Appeal did not make any comment on the
propriety and/or otherwise of those Motions. It is the duty of the Tribunal
to deliver its Ruling on those Motions.
“If the Appeal Court in its judgment had said that the Motions filed by PDP
and Ikpeazu challenging the jurisdiction of the Tribunal were not in order,
that is where it would have affected the hope of PDP. And the Court of
Appeal could not have done that because those Motions were not before them.
They were heard at the Tribunal.
“Appeal Court judgment has nothing to do with the Motions and the judgment
of the Tribunal. It is after the Tribunal delivers its Rulings and/or
judgment that any of the aggrieved parties may run back to the same Appeal
Court to test whatever will be the final decision of the Tribunal. PDP’S
hope is still tight. They have nothing to fear at all, “Amaraizu explained.
Balance in news reporting is as important as water is to man. But it was
obviously lacking in the report. There are always two sides to a coin, and
no oversight could have prompted the author not to capture PDP’s side of
the story.
The newsman is expected to discharge high degree of honesty in his
presentation of news by according equal priority to a story dealing with
his favourite (if there should be any) and his presumed enemy so to speak.
On the other hand, news and propaganda are strange concepts. News is
sacrosanct because it deals with truth and nothing but the truth, but”
propaganda, according to Adams and Stratton” is the name given to any
organized attempt to influence your thinking or your actions “.
The essence of that publication is to manipulate and influence the thinking
of Abians, especially the gullible population, nothing more, and nothing
less.
Abians are not new to the propaganda efforts of Otti his APGA co-travelers,
using some media hireling. It becomes worrisome when a reputable media
organization is dragged into this unholy arrangement.
The public repose a lot of confidence and trust in the press and this
should not be abused. Similarly, the media owe the public the duty to
educate them and educate them properly; and not deceiving them, as the
bits of information people gather from the press make them aware of the
world around them and build their stock of incidental knowledge which
enhance their living.
For Otti and his co-travelers, no level of propaganda has won any war
anywhere in the world.
Ukegbu, a public affairs analyst, wrote from Umuahia, Abia State.
keshiafrica@gmail.com;keshiafrica@yahoo.com;09052861355.