Journalists in the country have been enjoined to verify information before publication as the country prepare towards 2027 election.
The Chairman, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan SAN and the Executive Director, International Press Centre (IPC) Mr. Lanre Arogudande both made the call during a Strategic Workshop for Editors organized by the Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) in Collaboration with INEC, in Abuja on Monday.
According to Amupitan, in an era characterized by intense political competition and fragmented media channels, institutional trust can be eroded in minutes by unverified rumors, operational misinterpretations or deliberate disinformation.
He said, Editors hold the editorial power to set national agenda and as such, should prioritize factual accuracy over sensational headlines and shun inflammatory speculation, doing so, he described a ‘sacred’ public service as they remain the primary filter protecting our democracy against information disorder.
The Chairman added that under his leadership, the Commission is committed to rebuilding, deepening and sustaining institutional trust which according to him must be cultivated through open doors, continuous engagement and rigorous feedback loops.
According to Mr. Lanre Arogudande, Executive Director IPC, in an election season, what goes unverified can become a public belief; what goes unchallenged can become an accepted narrative.
He said the implications for democratic stability are too serious for newsrooms to treat verification as an afterthought.
Arogudande further stated that when facts are obscured, falsehoods amplified, and public concerns unanswered, confidence in the electoral process can erode long before the results are announced.
He added that the pressure to publish first is real, but speed without verification can turn a newsroom into an unwitting distributor of the very misinformation it should help to expose.
Lanre urged Editors to establish conditions under which accuracy takes precedence over virality, evidence over assumption, and public interest over the pursuit of clicks.
However, he cautioned that countering misinformation must not become a pretext for restricting legitimate criticism and that INEC must be able to communicate its position, and the media must remain free to scrutinize it.
Earlier in his welcome address, the President Nigeria Guild of Editors, Mr. Eze Anaba described the engagement; timely especially as the country is on the cusp of another round of elections adding that it will deepen and strengthen the relationship between the electoral management body and the leadership of the media.
Anaba stated that, media cannot perform it’s responsibility effectively without credible, timely and accessible information from the electoral management body hence the need for the relationship between INEC and the media must be one founded on openness, mutual respect and regular engagement in an environment increasingly polluted by misinformation, disinformation, manipulated content, deepfakes and partisan narratives.
He reiterated that the Nigerian Guild of Editors is committed to working with INEC and other stakeholders to promote elections that Nigerians can trust and a media that citizens can rely upon for credible information.