The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed a formal partnership with the Guild of Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) to combat fake news, unverified reports and election-related misinformation ahead of the 2027 general election.

Professor Ayobami Salami, Lagos State Resident Electoral Commissioner, who represented Professor Joash Amupitan, INEC Chairman, made the proposal on Thursday at the 10th annual conference of GOCOP in Lagos. The conference was held under the theme, “2027 Elections: Trust, Transparency and Shared Responsibilities.”

Amupitan says the partnership would establish a three-point operational pact between INEC and GOCOP as the country prepares for the 2027 elections. The proposed arrangement would include dedicated digital fact verification, stronger editorial self-regulation by online publishers and a national voter education partnership.

The INEC Chairman says the proposal is aimed at addressing the growing challenge of information disorder in Nigeria’s digital environment, particularly as election-related content becomes increasingly influential in shaping public opinion.

Amupitan says the partnership would establish a three-point operational pact between INEC and GOCOP as the country prepares for the 2027 elections. The proposed arrangement would include dedicated digital fact verification, stronger editorial self-regulation by online publishers and a national voter education partnership.

INEC seeks stronger fact-checking and editorial accountability

“We live in an era where velocity of digital information frequently outpaces the verification of truth,” Amupitan says. He says coordinated information warfare, political violence narratives, synthetic media and AI-generated fake content could inflame social divisions and undermine public confidence in electoral institutions.

Unverified claims about electoral fraud can cause immediate damage to public confidence, Amupitan says, adding that subsequent corrections may not completely reverse the impact of false information. “Being faced with a false story is a costly failure. Being accurate with a verified fact is a public service,” he says.

Under the proposed fact-verification component of the pact, INEC would provide GOCOP members with access to verified information during the election period. INEC says the information would cover field reports, security incidents and technical issues, allowing publishers to verify claims before publication. The commission also wants GOCOP to strengthen editorial self-regulation among its members.

According to Amupitan, the guild should enforce strict internal sanctions against member platforms or affiliated channels that publish unverified polling unit results, result sheets or speculative election reports.

The proposal comes against the backdrop of increasing concerns over the use of social media and online platforms to circulate false election results and misleading information during elections.

The INEC chairman says online publishers have a major responsibility because they serve as a bridge between information circulating on the internet and the wider public.

He describes digital publishers as “frontline stewards of truth” and urges them to resist the temptation to prioritise speed and online engagement over accuracy.

He also warns publishers against clickbait journalism, particularly during the election period when unverified reports can have consequences beyond online engagement. “Speed must never surpass accuracy,” he says.

INEC says it has deployed automated artificial intelligence auditing tools and multi-layer firewalls to protect its databases against cyber intrusion, distributed denial-of-service attacks and unauthorised data injection. It also says it has upgraded its biometric voter accreditation devices and commenced nationwide audits to ensure the devices are ready for deployment.

According to him, responsible reporting should provide context and seek official verification when operational challenges occur at polling units rather than presenting isolated incidents as evidence of systemic electoral failure. The proposed partnership also includes a national voter education component.

Amupitan says INEC wants GOCOP members to support the commission’s public awareness efforts, particularly by providing citizens with accurate information on voter registration, permanent voter card collection, voting procedures and other election-related activities.

The commission specifically called on online publishers to support the nationwide PVC collection exercise, which is scheduled to commence on Friday, October 9, 2026.

INEC says Nigeria’s voter register has reached 103 million registered citizens following the completion of three phases of continuous voter registration. Its Chairman says the size of the electorate makes effective voter education and reliable information increasingly important ahead of the 2027 elections.

The electoral body says its preparations for the election extend beyond voter education and media partnerships to technology, logistics and cybersecurity.

INEC says it has deployed automated artificial intelligence auditing tools and multi-layer firewalls to protect its databases against cyber intrusion, distributed denial-of-service attacks and unauthorised data injection. It also says it has upgraded its biometric voter accreditation devices and commenced nationwide audits to ensure the devices are ready for deployment.

On election results, Amupitan says the commission has enhanced its electronic result infrastructure to allow polling unit results to be digitised, cryptographically signed and transmitted after counting.

He says the measures are designed to reduce opportunities for manipulation and improve the transparency of the result-transmission process.

However, technology and legislation alone cannot guarantee credible elections, according to the INEC Chairman, stressing that public trust must be built through consistent and transparent implementation of electoral procedures. “A beautifully drafted law does not deliver a credible election on its own, nor does sophisticated technology guarantee integrity in a vacuum,” Amupitan says.

The INEC chairman says the commission’s responsibility is to execute the law faithfully, maintain operational discipline, manage logistics effectively and communicate clearly with voters.

He says the commission has also commenced nationwide readiness assessments, staff training and logistical preparations ahead of the elections.

The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.

The credibility of the elections, according to Amupitan, will depend not only on INEC but also on the collective actions of political actors, civil society organisations, the media and voters.

He therefore urges GOCOP and its members to make accuracy, verification and responsible election reporting central to their coverage of the 2027 electoral cycle. The proposed pact, he says, is intended to strengthen public access to reliable election information while reducing the potential for fake news and unverified claims to undermine trust in the electoral process.