INEC Warns Editors Against Unofficial Results Ahead of 2027 Elections
…. Says journalists’ welfare critical to democratic integrity
Oru Leonard
ENUGU — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged editors and newsroom leaders across Nigeria to strengthen fact-checking and digital verification mechanisms to combat artificial intelligence-driven deepfakes ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, who gave the charge on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) in Enugu, warned that synthetic disinformation posed a serious threat to public confidence and democratic stability.
Amupitan, represented at the conference by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, spoke on the theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive.”
He said advances in generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning, deepfake video technology and automated bot networks had made it possible for malicious actors to manufacture highly convincing false content capable of misleading millions.
According to him, fabricated videos purporting to show electoral officials announcing false results, cloned audio recordings and manipulated result sheets could be deployed to trigger public outrage and undermine confidence in genuine election outcomes.
“We have moved far beyond simple political bias, hyperbole, or unverified rumours into an era of synthetically manufactured reality,” Amupitan said.
He urged media organisations to establish specialised fact-checking desks, deploy forensic image-analysis tools and ensure that election-related information was properly verified before publication.
The INEC chairman said the greatest danger posed by synthetic disinformation was not only the spread of falsehood but the erosion of public confidence in authentic information.
“When everything can be faked, citizens begin to doubt genuine, verified facts provided by constitutional authorities,” he said.
INEC cautions against unofficial results
Amupitan also cautioned media organisations against publishing or amplifying privately collated election results ahead of official declarations by INEC.
He warned that unverified figures circulated by political actors or other sources could create competing narratives and undermine confidence in officially declared results.
“Let’s resist premature result declarations. Under the Electoral Act, statutory authority to declare election results rests exclusively with INEC,” he said.
He urged editors to ensure that their platforms did not become channels for unverified election figures, fake result sheets, fabricated statements or other forms of digitally manipulated content.
The chairman also warned that the pressure on modern newsrooms to be the first to publish should not override the obligation to verify information.
“In national elections, it is vastly more important to be right than to be first,” Amupitan said.
He appealed to the Nigerian Guild of Editors to regard media gatekeeping as an important component of national security and democratic defence.
INEC deploys AI safeguards
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and commenced deployment of automated AI auditing tools within the Results Management process.
He said the tools were designed to detect discrepancies before final verification, stressing that automated checks would remain subject to mandatory human auditing under a five-pillar AI Governance Framework.
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the Commission had commenced a six-zone Interactive Meetings and Readiness Assessment tour, beginning in Lagos on September 7, as part of its preparations for the 2027 elections.
He said the media had a critical role to play because elections were no longer contested only at polling units but also in the information space.
The INEC chairman also highlighted the relationship between journalists’ welfare and the integrity of democratic journalism.
He said it would be difficult to expect journalists facing severe financial insecurity, unpaid salaries and inadequate welfare to consistently resist political inducement and other pressures.
“A poorly compensated journalist is vulnerable; a financially neglected newsroom is fertile ground for compromise,” he said.
According to him, journalists who receive decent remuneration and structured welfare would be better positioned to resist inducements, interrogate false narratives and report elections objectively.
Amupitan said INEC had similarly introduced measures to improve the welfare of its workforce, including the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), which, according to him, separated the Commission’s workforce from the regular Civil Service salary structure with effect from January 1, 2026.
President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Eze Anaba, said the media had a responsibility to help sustain democracy by holding power accountable and providing space for diverse voices.
“We have a responsibility to ensure that our democracy survives. The media must hold power accountable and provide the space for diverse voices to be heard,” Anaba said.
He added that political actors were not the only stakeholders responsible for strengthening democracy, noting that the judiciary and media also had important roles to play.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, called on INEC to establish a joint Rapid Response Desk involving newsrooms to counter election misinformation.
Achebe also challenged editors to help tackle voter apathy by educating citizens on the importance of participating in the forthcoming general elections.
Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said a free press remained essential to a genuine democracy.
He noted that Nigeria had a diverse media landscape comprising newspapers, radio, television and social media, while artificial intelligence was introducing new opportunities as well as risks into the communication space.
“The latest arrival, of course, is artificial intelligence, AI. It is already working wonders in the communication space, though not without its dangers if it is allowed to spin out of human control,” Onaiyekan said.
