The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has condemned the “rig and die” slogan being promoted by some political actors ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that it could expose innocent Nigerians to electoral violence.
The Commission also warned that electoral officials, including ad hoc staff, found guilty of compromising the electoral process would face the full force of the law.
INEC National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, gave the warning at a media engagement forum in Enugu for journalists and media executives from the South-East, South-South and South-West geopolitical zones.
Haruna cautioned politicians against inflammatory statements and threats that could endanger Nigerians serving as presiding officers, ad hoc staff, party agents and election observers.
He said disputes over election outcomes should be addressed through lawful channels, including complaints to INEC, security agencies and the courts, rather than through violence.
Haruna also called for stronger collaboration between INEC and the media to safeguard democracy and ensure that the 2027 elections are credible, peaceful and transparent.
Describing the media as a critical stakeholder in the electoral process, he said public confidence in elections depended largely on accurate, fair and professional reporting.
He warned journalists against spreading misinformation, unverified results, manipulated videos and inflammatory political narratives that could undermine public confidence and trigger violence.
Haruna also cautioned against premature declarations of results, sensational reporting and presenting projections as official results.
“Results are declared only by the Commission through its duly appointed returning officers. Projections and unofficial figures must be clearly labelled as such,” he said.
He urged journalists to verify allegations against INEC through the Commission’s official channels before publication. He also advised them to report electoral incidents responsibly and distinguish between events they had witnessed and information obtained from other sources.
Haruna called for inclusive election coverage that gives adequate attention to women, young people and persons with disabilities, particularly the challenges they face in participating in the electoral process.
He urged media organisations to intensify voter education, especially on Permanent Voter Cards, accreditation procedures, electronic transmission of results and peaceful participation.
In a presentation on ethical and professional standards in election reporting, another resource person, Osaretin Imahheyierobo, urged journalists to familiarise themselves with the Electoral Act 2026, INEC’s election coverage guidelines and the Nigerian Broadcasting Code.
He said many journalists covering elections were unfamiliar with the legislative and regulatory frameworks governing electoral reporting.
Imahheyierobo challenged media organisations to establish dedicated election desks, editorial guidelines and fact-checking mechanisms ahead of the 2027 polls.
He also urged journalists to understand INEC’s technological innovations, particularly the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), to avoid inaccurate reporting on voting and result-management processes.
Imahheyierobo said journalists must resist compromising professional standards for “brown envelopes”. He added that political candidates should be properly scrutinised, rather than having their claims and manifestoes amplified uncritically.
He called for equitable media access for all political parties and candidates, saying voters relied on the media for information to make informed electoral choices.
He also urged journalists to avoid amplifying violent slogans and inflammatory messages that could endanger voters, electoral officials and observers.
Earlier, Enugu State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, said the engagement reflected INEC’s commitment to strengthening its relationship with the media ahead of the 2027 elections.
Chukwu described the media as a strategic partner in voter education, shaping public opinion and holding institutions accountable. He warned, however, that misinformation could undermine electoral credibility.
He said INEC had received about 35,000 Permanent Voter Cards for distribution across 260 wards in Enugu State and urged journalists to support public awareness efforts around their collection.
While acknowledging the media’s independence and watchdog role, Chukwu urged practitioners to uphold accuracy, objectivity, fairness and professionalism in their coverage of electoral activities.
He said the Commission remained committed to conducting an acceptable, transparent, inclusive and peaceful 2027 general election, adding that it was open to constructive criticism and recommendations from media stakeholders.
Chukwu also urged journalists to educate voters on what to do before, during and after elections so they could exercise their franchise peacefully and make informed choices.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Enugu State Council, Comrade Obinna Ogbuka, commended INEC for organising the engagement. He regretted, however, that it had not been held earlier, which he said would have allowed more journalists to benefit from the training before the election cycle began.
Ogbuka also expressed concern about the apparent lack of budgetary provision for journalists’ logistics during election assignments, saying practitioners needed adequate support to discharge their responsibilities effectively.
He further raised concerns about declining public confidence in INEC and urged the Commission to take deliberate steps to rebuild trust before the 2027 elections.
Other presentations at the one-day engagement addressed the legal and regulatory frameworks governing elections, provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, and rules on the publication and announcement of election results.
Participants commended INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections but urged the Commission to address shortcomings that affected previous polls, particularly the technical glitches that hindered the electronic transmission of results during the 2023 presidential election.
Media practitioners at the event also urged INEC to recognise journalists as critical stakeholders in the electoral process.
