The Media Foundation for West Africa (MFWA) has urged the Electoral Commission (EC) to reverse its decision to restrict media access to collation centres during the 2024 elections.According to a directive issued to its regional directors, the EC plans to limit accreditation at constituency collation centres to eight media organizations.

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This includes three TV stations, each allowed two representatives, and five radio stations, with one representative each. For regional collation centres, the access would extend to 12 media outlets, comprising five TV stations with two representatives each and seven radio stations with one representative per station.The MFWA expressed concern that such restrictions could compromise transparency and accountability in the collation process.

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The organization emphasized the importance of media presence in promoting credible elections and called on the EC to reconsider its stance.However, Dr. Bossman Asare, Deputy Chairperson of the EC, justified the move, stating, “in the wisdom of the commission, the conclusion was that to create an enabling environment for a smooth collation exercise, let’s restrict the numbers.

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“We think at the constituency level, having eight media houses is generally appropriate, and at the regional level, twelve media houses is very much appropriate.”The MFWA maintains that the imposed restrictions could impair the media’s capacity to comprehensively report on the election process and uphold accountability.

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The foundation has called on the EC to rethink its position and permit broader media access, emphasizing the need for transparency and fostering public confidence in the electoral process.In an interview on Channel One TV on Tuesday, November 26, MFWA’s Executive Director, Sulemana Braimah, voiced surprise at the EC’s decision and underscored the importance of overturning the directive.

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“Since when did media coverage become just radio and television? what about newspapers, what about online publications?“So, I think this is a very misdirected action and well as they say better late than never. This is something that I think should be reversed,” he stated.

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