By Ann Azuka
A Press Corps of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Delta State Chapter has been inaugurated in Asaba, the state capital with the swearing-in of a four-man executive to run the affairs of the corps.
The INEC-Press Corps executives who took the oath of office included Sir Festus Ahon, chairman, Mr. Austin Oyibode, PRO, Ifeoma Okafor, treasurer and Oghenero Eghere, secretary.
Inaugurating the executives of the INEC-Press corps, the Resident Electoral Commissioner(REC), Rev. Monday Udoh Tom said the inauguration of the executives represents the induction of press corps into the Commission’s value chain of stakeholder engagement matrix in Delta State.
He said that INEC needed Journalists to communicate the right information and called on Journalists to help create awareness for registrants to go and collect their Personal Voters Card (PVC).

Rev. TOM pointed out that it therefore testifies to the commitment of the State Management of INEC the State to replicate what is happening at the national level, where an IPC already exists for over a decade to translate the gains of the robust relationship between the Commission and the media, which will ultimately benefit the electoral process in the state.
According to him, It is significant to mention here that, your induction at the state level will benefit the media , particularly in understanding the language and nuances of political reporting and by extension activities of INEC.
“Moreso now that, the Electoral Act 2022 , has devoted a significant portion to what is expected of the media, in the political process, particularly sections 94 and 96 of the Act,” the Resident Electoral Commissioner said.
Reverend Udoh-Tom however enjoined the IPC to join hands with INEC to ensure that registrants came forward to collect their PVC’s.
He frowned that over three hundred thousand PVC’s were yet to be collected in the State since the 2019 registration exercise, adding that the number could increase when the electoral body commences the distribution of the new PVC’s which are expected to arrive in November.
He revealed that INEC would engage in massive mobilization and sensitization in the coming months in a bid to ensure that the PVC’s were collected before the elections February next year.
Earlier, the Head of Department Voters Education and Publicity, Mr. Bukola Ojeme said that the IPC was key as it would enhance quality reportage and eschew the fake news and other negative tendencies that had could mar the electoral process.
Responding on behalf of the newly inaugurated body, the Chairman of Press Corps, Chief Festus Ahon assured that the body would carry out its duties judiciously.
He averred that journalists in the State would do their best to ensure INEC conduct a credible, free, fair and safe elections.
