In preparation for the 2024 governorship election in Ondo State, Nigeria, the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) organized a two-day workshop for broadcast media anchors. This training aimed to equip media professionals with the necessary skills to manage the flow of information during the electoral process. Themed “Contextualizing INEC’s Responsibilities and Public Expectation, amid Fake News and Disinformation,” the workshop took place at the Radisson Blu Hotel in Ikeja, Lagos State. It brought together broadcast media professionals from various media houses across Nigeria to discuss the critical role of the media in ensuring a fair and credible electoral process.
In his welcome remarks, Professor Ayobami Salami, INEC’s Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Lagos State, emphasized the workshop’s importance in addressing the challenges of fake news and disinformation in the electoral process. He stressed the need for media anchors to understand and convey INEC’s responsibilities accurately to the public.
Mr. Rudolf Elbling, the team lead of DAI, delivered a goodwill message highlighting the media’s powerful influence in the electoral process. He urged media professionals to verify facts before reporting on sensitive electoral issues, stating, ‘The media are a very powerful stakeholder in the electoral process, and their opinions are taken very seriously.’
Professor Mahmood Yakubu, the INEC Chairman, represented by Mr. Sam Olumekun, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), delivered the keynote address. He charged the media to prioritize fact-checking over the speed of reporting. “Accuracy must not be sacrificed for speed,” he asserted, underscoring the media’s responsibility in maintaining electoral integrity.
Rotimi Oyekanmi, Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, outlined the workshop’s objectives, emphasizing the media’s role in educating the electorate to avoid misplaced expectations and biased opinions about INEC. He voiced INEC’s concern about fake news, stating, “We are concerned about misinformation and the threat it poses to the electoral process.”
This workshop is part of the EU’s ongoing efforts to build capacity for media practitioners covering the electoral process in Nigeria. It is a component of the EU-SDGN programme’s broader strategy to counter fake news and disinformation, promoting transparency and trust in the electoral process. By equipping broadcast media anchors with the tools to manage information accurately and responsibly, the EU-SDGN and INEC aim to ensure a peaceful, transparent, and credible election in Ondo State, setting a positive precedent for future elections in Nigeria.
