By Joy Odor
Sa’ad Umar Idris, the Director-General of Nigeria Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Electoral Institute (TEI) is representing well in Johannesburg, South Africa at the official Launch Programme of the Principles and Guidelines for the Use of Digital and Social Media in Elections in Africa.
The Principles and Guidelines are provided to enhance the capacities of Election Management Bodies (EMBS) and other relevant electoral stakeholders to harness the advantages of social media and tackle the adverse effects of new and emerging digital technologies
Umar Idris at the three days Launch programme, is expected to present a paper titled “Principles and Guidelines for the use of digital and social media in elections: The Independent National Electroal Commission (INEC) Nigeria experience with digital and social media during elections”.
The Association of African Election Authorities (AAEA) collaboration with the Independent Electoral Commission of South Africa (IEC) put together the three-days official Launch Programme.
The Guidelines underscore the dangers of social media misuse and call for responsible journalism and accountability among platform owners and users.
The Principles and Guidelines are also a human rights-inspired non-binding and persuasive instrument that is meant to address the existing normative gap regarding the use of and implications of digital and social media in elections in the continent.
The development of the Principles and Guidelines on use of Digital and Social Media in Elections in Africa, was inspired by the recommendations of the first-ever Continental Conference for Election Management Bodies that was held in Cape Town in March 2020, South Africa.
It was themed “Safeguarding Electoral Integrity in the Digital Age: Strategies for Combatting Digital Disinformation”.
It was jointly organised by the Electoral Commission of South Africa, the African Union Commission (AUC) and the United Nations
Development Programme (UNDP).
The document is therefore, a product of an extensive consultative process with EMBs and electoral stakeholders across the African Continent.
These Guidelines emphasize the importance of harnessing social media to bolster EMBs’ standing and foster confidence and trust in their endeavors while engaging their stakeholders effectively.
The document encourages African EMBs to adopt a clear and comprehensive plan for the responsible use of social media during electoral periods.
