Richard Peters

INEC, Media Join Forces to Tackle Fake News, Strengthen Confidence Ahead of 2027 Elections #NigeriaDecides2027 The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on media organisations, journalists and social media analysts to uphold ethical and professional standards in election reporting ahead of the 2027 General Elections, warning that misinformation, disinformation and inflammatory political narratives could undermine public confidence and threaten peaceful elections. The Commission made the call at a media engagement forum organised for the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Nigerian Institute of Social Media Analysts (NISMA), Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and media executives, with the theme, "Ethical and Professional Standards in Election Reporting Ahead of the 2027 General Elections," held at Hotel Sylvia, Enugu State. Speaking at the event, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka J. Chukwu, who represented the Chairman of INEC's Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, emphasised the critical role of the media in strengthening electoral integrity and sustaining public confidence in the democratic process. He noted that the media remained a strategic partner in the electoral process, serving as a bridge between the Commission and the electorate through information dissemination, voter education, public enlightenment and accountability. The REC cautioned journalists against publishing unverified reports, particularly those concerning election results, incidents at polling units, electoral materials and technological processes, stressing that speculation should never be presented as fact. He further urged media practitioners to give adequate attention to voter education, especially on Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection, voter accreditation, voting procedures, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), electronic transmission of results and peaceful participation. Dr. Chukwu also stressed the importance of inclusive election reporting, urging the media to give adequate representation to women, young people and persons with disabilities in electoral discussions and reportage. In his opening remarks, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, represented by the REC, highlighted the responsibility of the media in shaping public understanding of the electoral process, noting that public confidence in elections largely depended on the credibility and accuracy of information available to citizens.