The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has warned online publishers against sensational and unverified reporting ahead of the 2027 general elections, saying fake news and exaggerated claims could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and worsen voter apathy.
Amupitan gave the warning on Thursday in Lagos at the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP), themed “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities.”
The INEC Chairman was represented at the conference by the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ayobami Salami.
Amupitan said the media, particularly online publishers, had a critical responsibility in shaping public perception of elections, warning that inaccurate reports could have consequences beyond the immediate news cycle.
He said unverified allegations of electoral fraud could cause lasting damage to public confidence, even when such claims were later corrected.
According to him, the speed of digital information had increasingly outpaced the verification of facts, creating opportunities for fake news, coordinated information warfare, synthetic media and AI-generated deepfakes to influence elections and deepen social divisions.
He said, “Fake news, unverified leaks, and sensationalised reports directly destroy public trust, incite civil unrest, and induce voter apathy.”
The INEC Chairman urged online publishers to prioritise accuracy over the pressure to break stories ahead of competitors, particularly by avoiding clickbait headlines and publishing unverified election-related information.
He also called for greater context in reporting operational challenges during elections, cautioning against presenting isolated incidents as evidence of systemic failure.
Amupitan said responsible election reporting required media organisations to verify claims with INEC and other credible sources, particularly when reporting polling-unit results, electoral irregularities and allegations of manipulation.
He disclosed that INEC was proposing a three-point partnership with GOCOP, covering dedicated digital fact-verification, stronger editorial self-regulation against the publication of unverified election results and altered result sheets, as well as a national voter-education partnership.
According to him, online publishers have become “primary storytellers and narrative custodians” of Nigeria’s democracy and should use their platforms to promote voter education, including awareness on the collection of Permanent Voter Cards.
Amupitan also said INEC was strengthening its technological systems ahead of the 2027 elections, including the deployment of artificial intelligence for data auditing and cyber defence in partnership with global technology companies.
He said the commission had concluded the Continuous Voter Registration exercise, with the national register now standing at about 103 million registered voters, while nationwide PVC collection was scheduled to commence on Thursday.
The INEC Chairman further disclosed that the commission had commenced early procurement and distribution of non-sensitive electoral materials to its 36 state offices and the Federal Capital Territory.
He said the early procurement would allow sufficient time for batching, inventory auditing and distribution to the 774 Local Government Areas ahead of Election Day.
According to him, INEC had also commenced the distribution of new operational pick-up vehicles to state offices and LGAs to address transportation challenges in difficult terrains, riverine communities and remote border settlements.
He added that a centralised Operational Activity Schedule had been introduced to monitor the movement of electoral materials, storage security and vehicle deployment in real time across state command centres.
Meanwhile, the Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ayobami Salami, clarified the constitutional authority to declare election results.
Salami explained that the Constitution vests the authority to return election results in the designated Returning Officer appointed by the Commission.
He stressed that being an INEC official does not automatically confer the authority to return an election result, noting that even as a Resident Electoral Commissioner, he does not have the constitutional power to announce or return election results.
In his opening remarks, the Conference Chairman, Dr. Olisa Agbakoba, SAN, called on INEC to ensure that the 2027 elections are free, fair and credible, stressing the constitutional right of Nigerians to vote.
Agbakoba also challenged presidential candidates to clearly state their positions on the future of fuel subsidy and explain what they would do differently if elected.
The former President of the Nigerian Bar Association further raised concerns over the growing influence of opinion polls, election projections and unofficial results circulated through traditional and digital media.
He questioned whether opinion polls and electoral projections should be subjected to the same standards of verification and fact-checking applied to other election-related information.
