Jane Salihu
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned journalists, broadcasters and online media practitioners against the spread of fake news, misinformation and premature declaration of results ahead of the June 20, 2026 governorship election in Ekiti State.
The warning was issued on Tuesday during the INEC Media Stakeholders’ Forum held in Ado-Ekiti for media executives, reporters, producers and on-air personalities ahead of the election.
Speaking on behalf of the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Ekiti State, Dr. Bunmi Omoseyindemi, said false election reports and manipulated online content could threaten peace and undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
He urged journalists to verify information from official INEC sources before publication or broadcast, stressing that media organisations must strengthen fact-checking mechanisms to curb the spread of unverified election information.
According to him, sensational reporting and the rush to break news without verification could create panic, discourage voter participation and distort the credibility of the electoral process.
“The media is not just an observer in the electoral process; the media is a strategic partner in safeguarding democracy,” he said.
Dr. Omoseyindemi 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 their applications to do so before the deadline.
The REC said the governorship election would be conducted across the state’s 16 Local Government Areas, 117 Registration Areas/Wards and 2,445 Polling Units, with 13 political parties participating in the exercise.
He added that INEC had substantially completed major preparatory activities, including the publication of the final list of candidates and the presentation of the final voter register to political parties.
Dr. Omoseyindemi also assured stakeholders that the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) would be deployed to ensure transparency in accreditation and result management.
He further disclosed that non-sensitive election materials had largely been procured, while sensitive materials were in the final stage of production.
According to him, recruitment and screening of ad hoc staff had been completed, while training exercises would begin shortly.
On voter participation, the REC announced that collection of Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) would commence at Registration Areas from June 4 to June 8 and continue 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 and to provide clarity on electoral procedures, operational guidelines and the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.
In a goodwill message, the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Mr. Adedayo Oketola, described information manipulation and fake news as major threats to peaceful elections.
He warned journalists against prioritising speed over accuracy, insisting that responsible journalism remained critical to credible elections.
Oketola disclosed that seven out of the nine activities on the Commission’s election timetable had already been completed, adding that INEC was working towards simultaneous opening of all polling units in the state by 8:30 a.m. on election day.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ekiti State, Comrade Kayode Babatuyi, said the union had introduced measures aimed at tackling fake news and improving accountability among online journalists in the state.
He assured INEC of the union’s commitment to ethical journalism and responsible election coverage ahead of the governorship poll.
The one-day forum also featured technical briefings from INEC’s ICT, Electoral Operations and Legal Services departments on the deployment of BVAS, IReV, election logistics and provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.