New Media and Mass Communication www.iiste.org ISSN 2224-3267 (Paper) ISSN 2224-3275 (Online) Vol.39, 2015 143 Regulatory Environment and Media Coverage of Elections in Nigeria: A Review Ezinwa, Chidi A Ph.D Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Enugu State University of Science and Technology (ESUT) Enugu Ekwe, Okwudiri Lecturer, Department of Mass Communication, Renaissance University, Ugbawka Enugu Chiaha, Chukwuemeka Research Officer, Department of Media Research and Evaluation, Centre of Information and Communication Research, Abuja Regional Office, Abuja, Nigeria Abstract The legal environment under which an election takes place, no doubt, plays a crucial role in determining the extent to which the election would be adjudged free, fair and credible. The 2011 general elections in Nigeria were widely acclaimed to be free, fair and credible both locally and internationally. This work, therefore, set out to ascertain the veracity of this claim by examining the legal atmosphere under which the elections were conducted. The review showed that the legal environment was adequate enough to guarantee a free, fair and credible elections. However, it was discovered that most of these legal provisions were not complied with and the offenders were not brought to justice by the relevant bodies such as the National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) and Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON). With regards to the ‘equal opportunity doctrine’ as contained in the Electoral Act, the ruling party at various level of government, dominated the airwaves giving the opposition party very limited opportunity to be heard. It was also observed that the law on campaign funding was not observed. The ruling party spent far above the provisions permitted by law. Based on these findings, the researchers recommend that the regulatory environment in Nigeria should be strengthened by ensuring that the provisions of the Electoral Act and other election related laws are adhered to by all concerned and enforced by the relevant regulatory bodies. Introduction It is considered apposite to review the legal framework under which the 2011 election took place. This will help explain some of the acts and omissions of the actors in the election including journalists and media organizations. This review will no doubt shed further light on problem under study. Regulatory measures are no doubt a sine qua non for any successful election without such measures actors in the political arena will be operating in a state of lawlessness with its attendant consequences. Presently, there are three legal instruments that regulate media coverage of election in Nigeria namely: the Electoral Act, the Nigeria broadcasting code and the National Broadcasting Commission Act (NBC). It is important to note that these laws derive their validity from the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria without which they will be declared null and void. In other words, the constitution also provided the basic legal framework for election coverage. Reference could also be made to the freedom of Information Act when necessary. The electoral Act is the primary legislation that governs media coverage of elections in Nigeria. The 2011 election was governed by the Electoral Act of 2010. Some of the relevant section of the Act include the following; Section 90: Limit to contribution to political parties. Section 91: Limitations an election expenses. Section 92: Submission of election expenses.