Harmonized Election Day Broadcast (HEDaB) For Peaceful Election in Kaduna State
The Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Abuja, will be partnering with three (3) radio stations in Kaduna State, viz: Liberty Radio, Alheri Radio, and Nagarta Radio on the 28th of March 2015 to provide studio-based marathon radio programme on the conduct of the presidential elections in the State by the Independent National Election Commission (INEC).
According to the Director of CDD, Idayat Hassan, the post-2011 election violence experience and its negative impacts on the social fabric of Kaduna State is central to the introduction of this peace initiative. While taking a retrospective look at electoral violence in the State, and in Nigeria at large, she averred that the peace initiative is a “necessary step to complement efforts of the government, regional and international communities, and other stakeholders to avert potential causes of electoral violence in the 2015 general elections.”
On a general note, She explained that the 2015 general elections should be taken serious by all stakeholders as political atmosphere is tensed compared to the previous elections due to the emergence of strong opposition party, increased inter and intra-party crisis, seemingly intractable ethno-religious bigotry, pastoralists/farmers crisis, Boko Haram insurgence in the Northern states.
She further stated that the peace initiative is comparatively unique in the sense that it employs radio to engage, enlighten and educate the people of Kaduna State on Election Day on salient issues relating to the conduct of election as well as provide “real time” broadcast engagement of citizenry, political actors, professional bodies, ethnic group leaders, religious institutions, electoral authorities, and radio station. Through this engagement, CDD look forward to addressing some major causes of electoral violence, being; lack of timely information to citizenry; deliberate misinformation of citizenry by political actors; lack of persuasive 'voices of reason' from credible opinion leaders, professional bodies, ethnic and religious groups; lack of instant acknowledgement of electoral flaws and instant declaration of remedies by the Electoral Management Body (EMB); broadcasting house political partisanship; and Presenter/On-Air-Person bias or overzealousness.