Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has warned that misinformation amplified by media could pose the greatest threat to Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
Speaking at the 81st general assembly of the Broadcasting
Organisations of Nigeria (BON) in Abuja on Wednesday, Amupitan said elections
are increasingly being decided in the “information space,” making the role of
broadcasters critical to democratic integrity.
The INEC chairman described the airwaves as “the primary
infrastructure of our democracy,” and warned that misinformation, hate speech,
and unequal access to media platforms could undermine the will of the
electorate.
“In the 2027 General Election, the most dangerous weapon
will not be a ballot-snatcher’s gun, but a smartphone-user’s lies amplified by
an uncritical broadcast station,” he said.
He highlighted provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 aimed at
addressing these risks, including mandatory equal airtime for political parties
and strict penalties for violations.
“The Act mandates fairness and balance. You must provide a
level playing field,” Amupitan said.
He said under the law, media organisations that fail to
allocate equal airtime risk fines of up to N5 million, while individual
officers could face imprisonment.
Amupitan also highlighted restrictions on political
messaging, including a 24-hour “media blackout” before election day to prevent
last-minute manipulation of voters.
He said the act further criminalises hate speech and
inciting content, requiring campaigns to avoid “abusive language likely to
injure religious, ethnic, tribal or sectional feelings”.
The INEC chairman said despite these provisions, persistent
challenges, including weak enforcement, commercialisation of airtime, and the
dominance of incumbents in media coverage.
He noted that “political actors with greater financial
resources dominate broadcast space,” undermining the principle of equal access.
To address these gaps, Amupitan called for closer
collaboration between INEC, BON, security agencies, and the judiciary,
alongside stronger editorial standards within media organisations.
“Fact-check in real-time, mobilise voters’ turnout and
choose professionalism over profit,” he said.
“Elections are no longer just contested at the polling
units, they are contested in the information space.”
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