GOOD GOVERNANCE AND ACCOUNTABILITY: AN ASSESSMENT OF THE MEDIA’S ROLE IN ACHIEVING TRANSPARENCY IN THE 2019 GENERAL ELECTIONS IN NIGERIA

Abstract

The media has, over the years, been significantly active in the country’s political and democratisation processes, especially in the 2019 general election. Apparently, mass media is the pillar upon which democracy stands, thrives and survives. Therefore, the significance of the media in a democratic setting cannot be underscored. Against the backdrop of the foregoing, this paper examines good governance, accountability and the role of media in the 2019 general election, in Nigeria. This paper also pins down that media’s potential to contribute to good governance and accountability depends on the extent it reflects and enforces the principles of good governance and accountability as an institution. The paper assesses the role of the media in achieving transparency and accountable government in the 2019 general election with regard to the coverage, while highlighting some relevant issues that serve as the bottleneck in the paper. It also interrogates the nexus between the media, democracy and governance, concluding that the media contributes significantly to socio-political development in society and it is barely possible for any society to achieve its yearning and aspirations without the media. The paper establishes that transparency and accountability in governance can only be achieved through the influential power of the media.