To combat false information and its effects on the credibility of the electoral process in the country, the Independent National Electoral Commission has organised a two-day interactive workshop for broadcast media anchors on how to phase out the threats the commission is facing through false information.

The workshop, which was organised in collaboration with the International Press Centre (IPC), Centre for Media and Society, and DAI and themed “Contextualising INEC’s Responsibilities and Public Expectations Amid Fake News and Disinformation,” afforded engagements on how media could be strengthened in combating disinformation.

In her presentation, titled ‘Imperatives of Voter Education and Inclusivity in Electoral Participation’, at the workshop, Mrs. Mary Nkem, Director, of Voter Education and Publicity, Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), explained that voter education aims to empower the electorate with knowledge of their rights and responsibilities.

She went on to say that delivering relevant information on the electoral activity will enable citizens to participate actively, adding that information needs to be well managed and communicated accurately to impart knowledge and counter misinformation, thereby fostering trust in the electoral process.

She stated that the electoral commission is saddled with these and other responsibilities of engaging with the members of the public to achieve electoral success.

She, however, highlighted some of the difficulties the commission faces, such as Nigeria’s enormous geographic size and infrastructure disparities, which make it challenging to deliver voter education programmes to isolated and rural communities.

She also mentioned “lack of awareness: many citizens may lack understanding of electoral processes, the importance of their vote, and how to cast it properly language barrier: Nigeria is linguistically diverse, with over 500 languages spoken this diversity poses challenges in developing uniform voter education messages that are accessible to all.

Despite that, she concluded that the commission will always stay committed to “enhancing voter education and inclusivity in the electoral process requires a multifaceted approach. Addressing these challenges involves leveraging technology, community engagement, legal frameworks, and capacity building to ensure that elections are free, fair, credible, and inclusive.”

Speaking on what the Nigerian Media Anchors do to deal with electoral misinformation and disinformation, the Director of the Centre for Media and Society, Dr. Akin Akingbulu, expressed his concerns over the advancement of false information on the electoral conduct in the country, stating that fake news can undermine the integrity of the election in the country.

He further explained that false information is becoming an affliction to the existence of uninterrupted democracy which the country has enjoyed in the past 25 years. He also explained that false information does not affect the electoral commission, but other stakeholders in the country.

“We are at a juncture where some force and trend threaten to undermine the integrity of our elections and ultimately our progress in democracy building. Truth is facing high risk. Distortion of facts is gaining ascendancy. Force narratives are growing in scale and sophistication before, during, and after elections. In several situations, there appear to be deliberate campaigns to mislead people and distort the truth.

The problem we have at hand is the twin demon called Mis/Disinformation. “Whether it is false or misleading information spread unintentionally or deliberately to deceive, it constitutes part of the information disorder afflicting democracies around the world. Apart from misleading the population, misinformation and disinformation interfere with the public’s right to know and individuals’ right to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, as protected under the Nigerian Constitution and international legal guarantees.”

Dr. Akingbulu enlisted other agencies and stakeholders who are grappling with the brunt of fake news; he mentioned the electoral commission, the security agencies, the election observers, the media, the civil society organisations, political parties, and the respective candidates, a development that deprives members of the public the right to know the right, as the principle of information dissemination dictates.

To combat the threat of false information, Dr. Akingbulu charged broadcast anchors to “improve coverage of mis/disinformation on radio and television, act as gatekeepers for mis/disinformation content on radio and TV programmes and to provide visibility and engage in advocacy for the enactment”

Mr Rotimi Oyekanmi, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC chairman, in his presentation on the impact of false information and fake news on the electoral commission and Nigeria during the 2023 general election, said the commission is facing dire challenges from unverified information disorder in the country.

He reeled out the instances of false information on social media against the commission that were further validated by the reputable people in the country, putting the county electioneering process in jeopardy and diminishing voter confidence in the electoral system.

He also stated that fake news led to fear, distrust, and, in some cases, voter apathy, appealing to media anchors and the public to verify facts directly with INEC, reminding them to always verify information with the electoral commission before disseminating.

He also urged the media practitioners to be conscious of their roles as the fourth estate and the closest to the public; therefore, they must play an active role in correcting information disorder in the country.

The workshop ended with feedback from the participants, who urged the electoral commission to continue to work together with the media as false information is proliferating on social media. They also advised INEC to expand its voter education and awareness to the grassroots to avoid mixed information from false news peddlers.