The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called for stronger collaboration with media professionals to combat fake news, misinformation, and hate speech ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State.
The call was made during the INEC Forum for Media Executives, Producers, Reporters, and On-Air Personalities held in Ado-Ekiti as part of preparations for the off-cycle election. Speaking at the forum, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, described the media as an important partner in protecting democracy through accurate and balanced reporting.
Dr. Omoseyindemi said INEC had intensified preparations for the election through voter education, deployment planning for election materials, training of election personnel, and continuous engagement with security agencies, political parties, civil society groups, and transport unions. He stressed that peaceful and credible elections depend greatly on professional conduct by both electoral officials and media organisations.
The REC, however, expressed concern over the spread of fake news, manipulated videos, misleading headlines, and unverified election reports. According to him, such reports could create fear, damage public confidence, and threaten peaceful elections. He urged journalists and media organisations to verify election-related information with INEC before publication and avoid sensational reports capable of causing tension in the state.
Also speaking, the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mallam Mohammed Kudu, described the Ekiti governorship election as an important test ahead of the 2027 general elections. He disclosed that the election would hold across the state’s 16 local government areas, 177 wards, and 2,445 polling units, with 13 political parties expected to participate. He called on media organisations to intensify voter education in English, Yoruba, and other local dialects, especially on the use of BVAS, IReV, and voting procedures.
In a goodwill message, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Oketola, said 54 media organisations and 470 journalists had already processed accreditation to cover the election. He warned that fake news, deep fakes, misinformation, and foreign information manipulation now pose serious threats to peaceful elections. Oketola advised journalists, especially field reporters and on-air personalities, to confirm information before broadcast to avoid spreading reports that could cause panic or violence.
The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti State Council, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, commended INEC for involving the media in electoral preparations. He said the union had introduced measures to regulate online journalism and reduce fake news through accountability and ethical standards. The forum also featured presentations on BVAS, IReV, voting procedures, election-day operations, and online media accreditation by officials of INEC’s ICT, Electoral Operations, and Voter Education departments.