https://nextedition.com.ng/2019/01/12/2019-hd-nigeria-trains-journalists-election-coverage/

Ahead of 2019 general elections, the Centre for Humanitarian Dialogue, (HD Nigeria), has organised a one-day Conflict Sensitive Reporting workshop for Journalists in Benue.

The workshop themed "Peaceful Election: Conflict Sensitive Reporting," was facilitated by HD Nigeria in conjunction with INEC and National Orientation Agency, NOA, with the aim of equiping journalists with needed skills to cover the 2019 general elections more responsibly.

Speaking on the topic "Responsible Media Coverage of the 2019 General Elections,” the Head of Department, Voter Education, INEC, Plateau State, Osaretin Imahiyereobo, said the media was a major stakeholder in the conduct of a peaceful election and needed to be fully equipped.

According to him, "At all times but, particularly in an election year, the press has the responsibility to give the people the true and undoctored fact that will make them to make responsible choices about their nation and states.

"Without the press, it's impossible for the generality of the citizenry to discern facts from fiction, truth from falsehood in the multitude of promises that come cascading from the political soap box."

He emphasized that the training was designed as a resource for journalists who will cover the 2019 elections to increase their knowledge of the principles that should guide their work and role during elections.

In a bid to stop rigging in the 2019 elections,civil societies and ngos must come together to come up with an anti rigging mechanism,and election monitoring strategy to prevent rigging in 2019. W must monitor all elections back to back and enure that the elections would not be rigged technically like it was done in osun state.