...Says misinformation, unverified figures threaten peaceful governorship election

By: Goodluck E.Adubazi, Abuja.

560 journalists seek accreditation as INEC
deploys BVAS, IReV for June 20 governorship poll

The Independent National Electoral Commission has issued a strong warning to journalists, broadcasters and online media practitioners against the spread of fake news, misinformation and premature declaration of election results ahead of the Ekiti State Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, June 20, 2026.

The Commission cautioned that inaccurate reporting, manipulated videos, misleading headlines and unverified polling unit figures could undermine public confidence and threaten the peaceful conduct of the election.

The warning was delivered on Tuesday during the INEC Media Stakeholders’ Forum held in Ado-Ekiti for media executives, editors, reporters and on-air personalities preparing to cover the governorship poll.

Speaking on behalf of the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, described the media as a critical partner in protecting the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.

He expressed concern over what he called the growing wave of false election information circulating on social media and unverified online platforms.

“We call on media executives to establish and activate fact-checking protocols. We call on reporters to verify information from official INEC sources before broadcasting or publishing,” he said.

Dr. Omoseyindemi warned against the rush to break news at the expense of accuracy, stressing that sensational and unverified reports could trigger panic, suppress voter turnout and endanger peace.

“The media is not just an observer in the electoral process; the media is a strategic partner in safeguarding democracy,” he added.

The REC disclosed that 64 media organisations had applied for accreditation to deploy about 560 journalists for election coverage, adding that the accreditation portal would close automatically at midnight on June 7, 2026.

He urged media organisations yet to complete the process to take advantage of the remaining window.
Providing updates on preparations for the election, Omoseyindemi said voting would take place across the state’s 16 Local Government Areas, 117 Registration Areas/Wards and 2,445 Polling Units, with 13 political parties participating in the contest.

He further revealed that the Commission had substantially completed major preparatory activities, including publication of the final list of candidates and presentation of the final register of voters to political parties.
According to him, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) would be deployed to guarantee transparency in accreditation and result management.

The REC also stated that non-sensitive election materials had largely been procured, while sensitive materials were in the final stage of production. Recruitment and screening of ad hoc staff, he added, had been completed ahead of training.

He announced that collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would commence at Registration Areas from June 4 to June 8 before continuing at Local Government offices from June 9 to June 11, 2026.

Earlier, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, said the forum was organised to strengthen collaboration between INEC and the media ahead of the election.

She explained that the engagement focused on electoral procedures, deployment of technology, operational guidelines and provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

In a goodwill message, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, described fake news and information manipulation as major threats to peaceful elections.

“The greatest threat to a peaceful election today is often not physical violence, but information pollution,” he said.

Oketola urged journalists not to sacrifice accuracy for speed, insisting that “speed must never sacrifice accuracy.”

He also disclosed that seven out of the nine activities on the Commission’s election timetable had already been completed, while efforts were ongoing to ensure simultaneous opening of all 2,445 polling units by 8:30 a.m. on Election Day.

Also speaking at the forum, Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Ekiti State, Kayode Babatuyi, said the union had introduced measures to tackle fake news and improve accountability among online journalists in the state.

He assured the Commission of the union’s commitment to ethical journalism and responsible election coverage.

The one-day forum featured technical briefings from INEC’s ICT, Electoral Operations and Legal Services departments on BVAS deployment, the IReV portal, election logistics and provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 ahead of the crucial governorship election.