INEC Closes Media Accreditation For Edo Governorship Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the closure of the media accreditation portal for the upcoming Edo State governorship election, scheduled for September 21, 2024.

According to INEC, the portal will close at midnight tonight, and there will be no extensions.

This announcement was made by Sam Olumekun, INEC’s National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, in a statement released on Wednesday.

Olumekun stressed the significance of adhering to the deadline, noting that the commission will not accept late applications. So far, 113 media organizations have registered a total of 865 journalists to cover the election.

The commission also made it clear that any media outlet that fails to complete the accreditation process before the deadline will be barred from observing both the voting process and the collation of results.

With the portal’s closure imminent, INEC has urged media organizations to act promptly to secure their participation in the election coverage.

The statement reads: “In continuation of our preparation for the Edo State Governorship Election, the Commission wishes to remind all media organisations interested in the accreditation of their personnel that the portal closes tomorrow, Thursday 5th September 2024 at midnight.

“So far, 113 media organisations have uploaded the details of 865 journalists to cover the election.

“The commission wishes to reiterate that the deadline is sacrosanct. There will be no extension of time while unaccredited media organisations will not be allowed to observe voting in the field or collation of results at the various centres.”