Politics
Osun guber: REC urges media to combat election misinformation
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has called on media practitioners in Osun State to support efforts to curb the spread of fake news ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The appeal was made on Tuesday in Osogbo by the Osun State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Mrs Oluwatoyin Babalola, during a programme titled “The Journalists-INEC Voter Education and Publicity Dialogue on the 2026 Osun State Governorship Election.”
The event was organised by the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria programme in collaboration with the INEC headquarters as part of preparations for the forthcoming poll.
Addressing journalists and media stakeholders, Babalola stressed the importance of the media in safeguarding the credibility of the electoral process through accurate and responsible reporting.
She said the media remained a critical partner in voter education, information dissemination and public enlightenment, particularly as the election date draws nearer.
Babalola warned that misinformation and disinformation posed significant threats to credible elections in the digital era, noting that false narratives and manipulated content could erode public confidence in the democratic process.
“As we move closer to this important date, the role of the media as a partner in voter education, information dissemination, and public enlightenment cannot be over-emphasised,” she said.
She added, “One of the greatest threats to credible elections in this digital age is the spread of disinformation and misinformation. False narratives, fake results, doctored videos, and malicious propaganda have the capacity to undermine public confidence in the electoral process, incite violence, and delegitimise outcomes.”
The REC urged journalists to verify information before publication and actively challenge false reports with factual and balanced coverage.
“We must therefore work together to build a robust defence against these threats. The media must serve as gatekeepers of truth, verifying information before dissemination and countering falsehoods with factual reporting,” Babalola stated.
She also reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to providing timely, accurate and verifiable information through its official communication channels, urging journalists to rely on those platforms and collaborate with the commission in addressing misleading reports.
According to her, “the dialogue provided an opportunity for INEC and media organisations to develop creative, culturally sensitive and accessible voter education strategies capable of reaching residents in languages and formats they easily understand.”
Earlier, the Executive Director of the Centre for Media and Society, Dr Akin Akingbulu, called on journalists to uphold their responsibility of educating citizens about their roles before, during and after the election while also scrutinising campaign promises and monitoring the commission’s readiness for the poll.
Akingbulu said media practitioners should not remain passive observers, adding that they must “reflect, interrogate, and rank. And your perspectives will reach further than you may expect.”
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Former Labour Party vice-presidential candidate, Yusuf Datti Baba-Ahmed, has said his decision to run alongside Mr Peter Obi in the 2023 presidential election was influenced by sympathy for Obi after three prominent politicians allegedly declined to join him.
Speaking in an interview with Symfoni, Baba-Ahmed said many people misunderstood the nature of his relationship with Obi, stressing that sympathy played a significant role in his decision to support the former Anambra State governor.
According to him, Obi approached three major politicians in 2022, but none agreed to align with him.
Baba-Ahmed said he was disappointed by the situation and felt compelled to support Obi’s presidential bid.
He, however, declined to disclose the identities of the politicians or the reasons they allegedly refused to join Obi.
Baba-Ahmed also dismissed suggestions that he would automatically follow Obi into any future political platform, including the African Democratic Congress, ADC.
He stated that while he had supported Obi’s presidential ambition in 2023, he remains politically independent and is not obligated to follow the former Labour Party candidate’s political decisions.
The former senator emphasized that Obi does not control his political choices and maintained that his support for the Labour Party ticket was a voluntary decision made in what he believed was the interest of Nigeria.
He said: “They thought I would follow Peter Obi. People don’t understand between me and Peter Obi, I have a great deal of sympathy for him. And this sympathy was at the core of our relationship. People find it difficult to understand me.
“When he, Peter Obi, approached three major politicians in 2022 they avoided him. I would have been glad if in 2022 one of them went with Peter Obi. They all avoided him. I felt bad for him and for Nigeria as a nation. You and I know the reason and I don’t have to say it now.
“I took it upon myself because naturally I have always been a volunteer for Nigeria.
“They thought I would follow Peter Obi to ADC, but I had given enough sympathy then. Obi does not own me. I own my independence.”
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Governor Charles Soludo has said that Anambra State and the All Progressives Grand Alliance would support President Bola Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.
Soludo made the declaration while addressing members of the City Boy Movement, Anambra State Chapter.
The governor said his political decisions are guided by the interests of Anambra people and the Igbo nation, stressing that he believes in what he described as the “politics of evidence.”
He cited the Federal Government’s approval of the state’s proposed aerotropolis as a Free Economic Trade Zone as an example of the benefits of cooperation with the current administration.
According to him, the approval was granted in what he described as the fastest response he had witnessed from the Federal Government.
Soludo also said that although APGA remains a separate political party, it shares progressive ideals with the ruling party and should work with the Federal Government for the benefit of the South-East region.
The governor maintained that progressive political forces must collaborate to advance the interests of the Igbo people and accelerate development in Anambra State.
Soludo said: “You don’t take second position in politics. I don’t play that kind of politics. The Politics I want to play is for the interest of Ndi Anambra, and the Igbo.
“I only play politics of evidence.
“The President in a fastest approval I have ever seen, he designated our aero metropolis as a free economic trade zone. That’s politics.
“Despite the fact that we are in APGA, we understand it that progressives have to work together for the good of Igbo.”
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By Henry Umoru
ABUJA — Crisis has erupted within the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, following allegations of hijack and manipulation of the party’s recently concluded primaries in Imo State ahead of the 2027 elections.
A former member of the House of Representatives, Uche Nwole, accused influential figures within the party of undermining internal democracy and compromising the primary election process.
Nwole, who represented Mbaitoli/Ikeduru Federal Constituency between 1999 and 2003, said he was compelled to return to active politics due to concerns over Nigeria’s democratic trajectory and the need to protect internal party democracy.
Addressing journalists in Abuja, he described himself as a founding member of the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, and said he joined the NDC because of its vision and leadership, expressing confidence in its presidential candidate, Peter Obi.
He, however, alleged that the party’s internal process in Imo State had been compromised by powerful interests seeking to impose candidates and control party structures.
According to him, a panel sent by the party headquarters to supervise the primaries, led by Chief Babatunde Are, was allegedly prevented from carrying out its assignment.
He claimed the panel was influenced by a prominent party stakeholder and failed to properly supervise the exercise, leading to irregularities in the conduct of the primaries.
Nwole further alleged that while aspirants mobilised for the exercise, the panel failed to appear at designated venues, forcing local government party officials to conduct and collate results which were later submitted through official channels.
He also alleged that the results generated locally were rejected at the national level in favour of what he described as “parallel results.”
The former lawmaker questioned what he called the growing influence of a single individual over the party’s affairs in Imo State, warning that it could damage the party’s credibility and electoral prospects.
“We cannot allow democracy to be hijacked by any individual. Political parties must remain institutions governed by rules and collective decisions, not personal interests,” he said.
Nwole disclosed that he and other aspirants had petitioned the party’s national leadership, calling for a review of the primaries and clarification on the legitimacy of the results.
He urged the leadership to investigate the conduct of the exercise, ensure due process was followed and address grievances among aspirants.
He warned that failure to resolve the crisis could undermine public confidence in the party’s commitment to internal democracy.
The former lawmaker maintained that his intervention was aimed at strengthening the party and preserving its political relevance ahead of the 2027 elections.
He called for fairness, transparency and justice, insisting that only credible internal processes could sustain confidence among members and the electorate.
In the petition excerpts, Nwole and other stakeholders alleged that there was no properly supervised primary election in Imo State, claiming that the panel from the national headquarters failed to conduct the exercise as expected.
He further alleged that the process was taken over by local party executives in the absence of the supervisory panel, leading to disputed results and parallel submissions to the national secretariat.
The petition also called for the party leadership to verify claims of structural control within the state chapter and ensure that candidates emerge through a transparent process.
The post Crisis hits NDC over Imo primaries appeared first on Vanguard News.
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