RismadarVoice Reporters
October 6, 2026
The Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, to strengthen transparency and ensure timely access to credible information as preparations intensify for the 2027 general elections.
NGE President Eze Anaba made the call on Monday at a strategic workshop in Abuja organised by INEC in collaboration with the guild.
The workshop, themed “ Strengthening Democracy Through Partnership Among Editors, Civil Society and Electoral Institutions,” brought together media executives, electoral officials, civil society representatives and other stakeholders to discuss electoral communication, misinformation and public confidence in the democratic process.
Anaba said credible elections depended not only on the conduct of voting but also on citizens having confidence in the institutions responsible for managing the process.
He stressed that the media could not effectively counter misinformation and disinformation without prompt and accessible information from INEC.
“Elections are not merely about casting ballots. They are about trust,” Anaba said.
He urged INEC and media organisations to maintain open communication, mutual respect and regular engagement throughout the electoral cycle.
Anaba also called on editors to uphold accuracy, fairness, balance and the public interest, noting that the way electoral information is verified and presented could influence public confidence in the process.
Executive Director of the Centre for Media and Society, Dr Akin Akingbulu, similarly stressed the importance of institutional openness, warning that newsrooms could not effectively verify information that institutions failed to disclose.
Akingbulu proposed an INEC–Editors Verification Compact that would define responsibilities for authenticating information, addressing discrepancies and responding rapidly to misinformation.
He also warned that artificial intelligence, deepfakes and manipulated digital content could pose significant challenges during the elections, urging newsrooms to strengthen their verification systems.
Executive Director of the International Press Centre, Lanre Arogundade, called for a relationship between INEC and the media based on access and mutual respect without compromising editorial independence.
He also stressed the need to protect journalists covering elections and urged news organisations to prioritise verification over the pressure to publish information quickly.
INEC Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, identified misinformation and disinformation as threats to electoral participation and public confidence.
She urged editors to use their gatekeeping responsibilities to ensure that information from the field is properly verified before publication.
Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, said the workshop was intended to strengthen institutional trust, combat information disorder and promote shared responsibility among the media, civil society and electoral institutions.
Oketola said INEC was seeking to establish round-the-clock fact-verification channels with newsrooms to enable claims relating to elections to be checked quickly before they spread.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna, also called for stronger cooperation between the commission and media executives ahead of the elections.
The commission said nationwide collection of Permanent Voter Cards would begin on Friday, October 9, 2026, as preparations for the general elections continue.
Stakeholders at the workshop maintained that timely official information, rigorous verification and sustained cooperation between electoral authorities and the media would be critical to limiting misinformation and strengthening public confidence ahead of the polls.
