TELEVISION COVERAGE OF MARCH 2016 RIVERS STATE SENATORIAL RE RUN ELECTION A STUDY OF ENUGU URBAN METROPOLIS

ABSTRACT

This research centers on “Television Coverage of March 2016 Rivers State Senatorial Re-run Election A Study of Enugu urban metropolis) ”  were written with the objective to ascertain the level of media coverage of “March 2016 Rivers State Senatorial Re-Run Election”; to determine if they meet up with the demand of Enugu metropolise;  to investigate the problems they face in covering the program;  To determine level the government support media in the coverage (re-run election). Research questions were formulated to help achieve the objective. One of them is Do the level of media coverage of the re-run acceptable by Enugu metropolis?  The method adopt were description analysis system. The research employ Taro Yamene formular as its sampling techniques. A total of 280 population were used.  The research revealed among others revealed that television stations coverage on the Re-run election has passive influence on its citizenry by: Keeping the citizens abreast of current events and raising awareness of various issues on politics and act as a watchdog over the government. Providing a forum for candidates and political parties to debate their qualifications for office before the audience. Promoting participatory politics; renew trust in politics and improve democratic process. Making democracy promising by widely disseminating the kind of information people need. At the end, the researcher made some recommendation which include that Media organizations and press bodies should organize seminars and workshops to sensitize and educate journalists on the significance and effects of news content especially when covering political and conflict news programmes in other to improve their skills and professionalism.

CHAPTER ONE 

INTRODUCTION

1.1 Background of the Study 

On Saturday, March 19, the people of Rivers State went to the polls to elect their representatives for the State House of Assembly and the National Assembly. That election followed the ruling of the State Election Petition Tribunal and the Court of Appeal, which nullified last year’s State and National Assembly polls in the State and subsequently ordered a re-run of the elections in the State.

Thirty-seven seats where context for in the rerun elections into the National and State House of Assemblies and these include 22 seats out of 32 in the Rivers State House of Assembly, 12 House of Representatives and all three Senatorial seats (Channel TV web, 2016).

Unfortunately, the March 19 rerun polls were marked by large scale electoral violence and fraud. At the end of the election, about six people were reported killed, while scores of others suffered various degrees of injuries. The re-run election was characterized by shoddy arrangements by the Independent national Electoral Commission (INEC), leading to late arrival of voting materials to some centers, even though the Commission later explained that this was caused by the assault, abduction and harassment of INEC temporary and permanent staff and collation officers. There were also accusations that the Commission was partisan in the exercise, even as INEC was accused of allowing fake result sheets to be distributed in some polling units. These challenges led to the unfortunate suspension of voting in six Local Government Areas of the State, including Andoni, Khana, Gokana, Bonny, Tai and Eleme by INEC.

TELEVISION COVERAGE OF MARCH 2016 RIVERS STATE SENATORIAL RE RUN ELECTION A STUDY OF ENUGU URBAN METROPOLIS