As Nigeria looks ahead to the 2027 general elections, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has joined forces with UNESCO and other key partners in a proactive campaign to safeguard the nation’s democratic health. The central thrust of this initiative is to combat the pervasive threat of misinformation and disinformation, which officials warn have become primary catalysts for electoral violence. During a pivotal stakeholder dialogue in Abuja—coordinated by the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI)—representatives from political parties, the media, and youth groups were urged to prioritize information integrity. The message was clear: for our democracy to remain resilient, we must protect the public from the toxic narratives that frequently destabilize the electoral process.
Mrs. Esther Chibukem, an Assistant Director at INEC, underscored the gravity of the situation by highlighting how digital platforms are weaponized to dismantle public trust. She shared alarming examples of how fabrications, such as false reports regarding the death of the INEC chairman, spread with reckless speed, threatening to undermine the credibility of the entire institution. According to Chibukem, there is a critical distinction between misinformation—which may be born of ignorance—and disinformation, which is the intentional, malicious spread of falsehoods designed to stir unrest. She argued that physical electoral violence is rarely an isolated spark; rather, it is the fire that ignites only after weeks of hate speech, deep-fakes, and inflammatory content have successfully raised the temperature of the national discourse.
The human element of this crisis was brought into sharp focus by Chibukem’s own harrowing experience as a presiding officer in Kogi State. Recounting the trauma of being abducted by armed political thugs, she described the impossible position she was forced into: she was made to thumbprint ballots under the threat of knives and guns while trapped in a room with eleven armed men. This terrifying ordeal serves as a stark reminder that behind every statistic about electoral fraud are real people whose lives are put at risk. She pointedly lamented the cycle of exploitation that drives such events, noting how young Nigerians are often recruited to commit these dangerous acts for as little as “N5,000 and a loaf of bread,” while the politicians who orchestrate the chaos ensure their own children are safe and studying comfortably abroad.
The dialogue also featured insights from UNESCO’s Sahel Office representative, Dimitri Sanga, who emphasized that Nigeria’s vibrant, tech-savvy youth population is the most important demographic in shaping the future of the nation’s discourse. While digital tools have revolutionized participation, they have also become breeding grounds for AI-generated manipulation and inflammatory rhetoric. Sanga noted that the integrity of an election is not merely the responsibility of the electoral commission; it is tethered to the quality of information shared and consumed by the average citizen. By promoting media and information literacy, UNESCO aims to empower young Nigerians to move from being passive consumers of digital content to becoming skeptical, responsible, and ethical participants in the political arena.
Dr. Sharon Omotosho, the Director of IMILI, echoed these sentiments, stressing that the responsibility to foster a peaceful electoral environment is a shared duty that extends far beyond the walls of government offices. She emphasized that the goal of the recent dialogue was to ensure that the skills acquired—such as fact-checking, verifying sources, and identifying manipulation—are cascaded down to the grassroots level. Rather than treating this as a one-time conversation, the institute is focused on equipping participants to act as gatekeepers within their own communities. Ultimately, the success of the 2027 elections will depend on the ability of media professionals and ordinary voters alike to reject provocations and prioritize peace at every stage of the cycle, from primary elections to the final declaration of results.
In conclusion, the movement to secure Nigeria’s democracy must be viewed as an ongoing, grassroots endeavor that begins long before a voter steps into a polling booth. It requires a fundamental shift in how political actors engage with their base and how youth view their own role in the nation’s trajectory. By fostering transparent grievance mechanisms, demanding accountability from political leaders who rely on thugs, and arming the electorate with the tools to discern truth from propaganda, Nigeria can move toward a more inclusive and stable future. The message from the Abuja summit is collective and urgent: peace-building is not an election-day act, but a daily commitment to truth, integrity, and the protection of the democratic process against the scourge of manipulation.