The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, has urged media organisations not to publish or declare election results based on privately collated figures during the 2027 general elections.
Amupitan issued the warning on Tuesday in Abuja at a national stakeholders’ meeting organised as part of activities marking 100 days to the 2027 general elections.
He stressed that under Nigeria’s Electoral Act, the responsibility for officially declaring election results rests with INEC.
The INEC chairman also called on media organisations to strengthen their fact-checking processes and use digital forensic tools to verify election-related information before publication.
He advised journalists and media houses to cross-check results and other election information with INEC to prevent the spread of inaccurate figures.
Amupitan further urged the media to avoid announcing results compiled independently from unofficial sources, warning that such declarations could create confusion and undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
He encouraged media organisations to prioritise accuracy and verification in their coverage of the 2027 elections, stressing that getting the facts right was more important than being the first to report.
The INEC chairman said stronger collaboration between the commission and the media would be important in ensuring credible information reaches Nigerians throughout the electoral process.
