By Abdullahi Yusuf
Ahead of the 2027 general elections,the Secretary to the Kano State Government(SSG),Alhaji Umar Ibrahim Farouk, has urged journalists in the state to ensure accurate, fair,impartial and balanced reporting of the polls.
Farouk,who made the call at the opening of the 2026 Retreat of The Kano Correspondents’ Chapel of the NU in Kaduna, said the election reportage should also be guided by public interest.
“Election reporting should be guided by accuracy, fairness, impartiality, balance and the public interest. We have a responsibility to avoid publishing materials capable of inflaming ethnic, religious, regional or political divisions,” he said.
Represented by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Malam Mustapha Mohammad, the SSG said political disagreements are normal in a democracy, but that disagreement should not be allowed to become hostility.
He said Journalists must be particularly careful when reporting allegations, campaign speeches, inflammatory statements and clashes between political supporters.
“Statements capable of provoking violence should not be amplified merely because they are sensational. The media should also avoid headlines that distort the substance of a story simply to attract attention.
“Above all, we must create an atmosphere conducive for peace and harmony to reign even after election. Elections will come and go, our beloved city of Kano will remain.
“Journalists occupy a strategic position in the development of any society. Beyond reporting events however, journalists have a responsibility to inform citizens, hold public institutions accountable and provide the platform through which governments can communicate their policies, programmes and achievements to the people.
“In a state as large, diverse and politically significant as Kano, this responsibility becomes even more important. As the state approaches the 2027 general elections, journalists and media organisations must strike a careful balance between robust scrutiny of government and responsible reporting that recognises genuine developmental efforts.
“Members of Kano Correspondents Chapel should be able to tell the story of Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf and the physical growth presently unraveling the state. No doubt, Kano is working under Abba Gida Gida,” Farouk added
Earlier, the Chairman of the Chapel,Alhaji Murtala Adewale, in his address,urged journalists to strengthen their knowledge of legal, ethical and security requirements ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Adewale described the Theme of the Retreat: “2027 General Elections: Navigating Legal, Security and Ethical Challenges in the Media,” as timely, given the expected intensity of political activities, competing interests and heated debates as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
According to him, journalists will be expected to provide citizens with credible, balanced, accurate and timely information to enable them to make informed choices during the polls.
He said the freedom of the press came with significant responsibilities, particularly in an electoral environment where journalists could face legal challenges relating to defamation, contempt of court, privacy, incitement, hate speech and other violations.
“These retreats, therefore, provide an opportunity for us as members of the Correspondents Chapel to deepen our understanding of the legal framework within which we operate and to ensure that our electoral reporting is guided by law,” the chairman said.
He also drew attention to the security risks journalists could encounter while covering the elections, noting that reporters would operate in polling units, campaign grounds, collation centres and other locations where tensions could escalate.
He, therefore,urged members to take their personal security seriously and apply the lessons from the retreat’s sessions onsecurity and ethical reporting.