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

The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has cautioned that false claims of electoral fraud can cause lasting harm to public confidence and increase voter apathy leading up to the 2027 elections. During the 10th Annual Conference of the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos, INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan outlined this concern to members of the online publishing community.

Represented by the Lagos Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Ayobami Salami, Amupitan emphasized the urgency for online publishers to refrain from publishing unverified allegations of electoral fraud.

Amupitan warned that the immediate damage to public confidence resulting from such claims can be permanent. He noted that even when retractions or corrections are made, the damage to public trust in the electoral process may not be fully mitigated. "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 stated.

In light of this warning, INEC has proposed a partnership with GOCOP that includes measures such as digital fact-verification, enhanced editorial self-regulation regarding election-related content, and initiatives to educate voters. Amupitan emphasized that online publishers serve as critical storytellers and custodians of narrative in Nigeria's democracy.

He urged these platforms to use their influence to promote voter participation and counteract the spread of misinformation, rather than contributing to growing distrust in the electoral process.