Damage is immediate and enduring’ — INEC warns over fake election claims

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has warned that unverified claims of electoral fraud could cause lasting damage to public confidence and worsen voter apathy ahead of the 2027 elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, issued the warning on Thursday in Lagos while speaking at the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, GOCOP.

Amupitan, who was represented by the Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ayobami Salami, cautioned online publishers against publishing fake news, unverified leaks, sensational reports and clickbait headlines during election reporting.

He said publishing unverified allegations of electoral fraud could continue to damage confidence in the electoral process even after the claims had been corrected or retracted.

“When an unverified claim regarding electoral fraud is published, the damage to public confidence is immediate and enduring; subsequent retractions or fact-checks rarely repair the injury,” Amupitan said.

The INEC chairman urged publishers to verify election-related claims with the commission and other credible sources, particularly reports concerning polling unit results, electoral irregularities and alleged manipulation.

He also warned against presenting isolated incidents during elections as evidence of systemic failure, urging media organisations to provide adequate context when reporting operational challenges.

Amupitan said INEC was proposing a three-point partnership with GOCOP covering digital fact-verification, stronger editorial self-regulation against unverified election results and altered result sheets, and voter education.

He described online publishers as “primary storytellers and narrative custodians” of Nigeria’s democracy and urged them to use their platforms to encourage voter participation rather than deepen distrust in the electoral process.