Chairperson of the National Media Commission (NMC), Yaw Boadu Ayeboafo, has urged the media to respect the constitutional role of the Electoral Commission (EC) in declaring presidential election results.
He stressed that declaring results is solely the responsibility of the EC’s Chairperson and called on journalists to refrain from stepping into this role.
Although media outlets are allowed to report polling station results after the election, Ayeboafo emphasized that the official final declaration should be left to the EC, as mandated by the Constitution.
“We want to affirm that, it is only the Electoral Commission that can declare results. The good thing that we have is that, at the constituency level, it will be declared at the constituency. It is only in the presidential election that there is only one returning officer and that is the chairperson of the EC.
“When it happens like that and there is a delay, it is better that we wait rather than rush and publish what we will find out so as not to be validated, and put everybody in danger. I mean you saw what happened in 2020 until the political parties started their press conferences, claiming that we have won or this one has won, there was peace in this country.
“But the moment that this person said I have won and vice versa tension arose and that is why some of the things that happened shouldn’t have happened. We in the media have an obligation when political tension rises so high.
“We must bring it down by the way we approach issues, by the language that we use and by the individuals that we invite to speak on our platforms.”
During the Media Forum of Election 2024, organized by the Ashanti Regional Media Advisory Committee of the National Media Commission in Kumasi on November 5, Mr. Ayeboafo addressed a gathering of media practitioners.
The forum aimed to raise awareness about tackling misinformation, fake news, and hate speech in the lead-up to the December elections.
Mr. Ayeboafo also urged journalists to prioritize verifying information before sharing it with the public.