IPC wants Nigerian media to fight election misinformation, disinformation

Ahead of the 2023 general elections, the International Press Centre (IPC) says the Nigerian Media must be at the forefront of fighting misinformation and disinformation.

Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of IPC gave this charge at a roundtable organized in conjunction with the Independent National Election Commission (INEC), and the Media and Civil Society Organizations (CSOs) in Abuja.

The focus of the parley was identifying and mitigating flash-points of electoral misinformation and disinformation.

Arogundade insisted that giving accurate information and facts would not only help Nigerians vote for credible leadership at all levels, but it would reduce tension and prevent the fanning of disunity and hate that could spiral into political unrest.

“For us in the media, it is also a straightforward case that we cannot effectively perform the function of providing citizens with the information they need to make informed choices at elections if the same citizens are confused about what to believe and what not to believe,” he said.

“The media task in the above regard is further complicated by the penchant  of the politicians to tell blatant lies to score cheap political points.”

Aogundade said the media’s task in the above regard, is further complicated by the penchant of the politicians to tell blatant lies to score cheap political points.

Lessons

On its part, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has pulled resources to ensure the 2023 general elections were very credible and legitimate.

Festus Okoye, National Commissioner and Chairman, Information and Voter Education Committee for INEC, said the Commission had learnt valuable lessons from the conduct of the 2019 general election and these lessons have assisted and continued to assist the Commission in organising and deploying the personnel, resources and support necessary to manage and conduct the 2023 general election.

“The Commission took critical decisions and embarked on fundamental measures aimed at building trust in the electoral process, enhancing the transparency of the electoral process and making the management of results more dynamic and technologically driven,”  he said.

Okoye said some politicians are not comfortable with some of the provisions aimed at strengthening the electoral regime and will prefer a return to the old act.

“The reality is that the Commission must conduct the 2023 general election based on the Electoral Act, 2022. Attacking the Commission based on its resolve to conduct a law-based election will not change its resolve to organise, undertake and supervise elections in Nigeria.”

‘The Commission from time-to-time issues Regulations, Guidelines and Manuals to give effect to and further explain the processes and procedures involving in giving effect to the provisions of the law. The application and implementation of the Regulations and Guidelines by officers of the Commission has been a source of misinformation and disinformation. Sometimes, there is deliberate injection of confusion in our processes when some persons started circulating information that registered voters do not need their PVCs to vote in any election.”

The interactive is expected to lead to the development of collaborative strategies by the media, the CSOs and INEC on curbing electoral disinformation and misinformation.