….Charges political parties, Media, others to tackle the menace
- By Demola Atobaba, Ado-Ekiti
Concern stakeholders in the forthcoming Gubernatorial elections in the June 20 in Ekiti State which includes the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), have expressed deep concerns of drop in Nigeria’s voter participation rate.
Tey noted in their warnings that low voter turnout has continued weaking the democratic legitimacy year in, year out.
The National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, who expressed this concern, said the menace could create a situation where governance may no longer reflect the true mandate of the people.
Speaking during the ‘Forum for Media Executives, Producers, Reporters and On-Air Personalities’ organized by INEC in Ado-Ekiti as part of preparations for the off-cycle governorship election, the INEC officer described the declining voter turnout as a democratic crisis that requires urgent collective action from stakeholders, especially the media.
He equally raised concerns over the growing spread of fake news, warning that both pose serious threats to democratic participation and the credibility of the electoral process.
According to him, Nigeria’s voter participation rate has continued to drop steadily since the country’s return to democratic rule in 1999.
Haruna noted that while voter turnout stood at about 60% in the early years of democracy, participation has declined significantly in recent elections, dropping to nearly 30% nationally in recent electoral cycles.
He added that although Ekiti’s 2022 governorship election recorded approximately 40% voter turnout, considered relatively high among recent off-cycle elections, the figure still indicated that more than half of registered voters stayed away from the polls.
The Commissioner warned that low voter turnout weakens democratic legitimacy and creates a situation where governance may no longer reflect the true mandate of the people.
In Ekiti State alone, he disclosed that 66,664 new voters registered between 2025 and 2026, bringing the state’s total registered voter population to 1,059,360 after transfers and updates.
“No challenge demands more urgent attention from all of us in this room than the crisis of voter apathy.
“For too long, we have accepted a democracy where 70 percent stay away while 30 percent decide the future for everyone. That is the reality we must collectively confront.
“The media is not merely a reporter of what happens at the polls; the media is the mobilizer of participation.
“We call on media executives to establish and activate fact-checking protocols. We call on reporters to verify information from our networks before broadcasting or publishing.
“INEC is committed to being your most reliable source of electoral information, and we ask for your reciprocal commitment to responsible amplification”.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, emphasized the dangers posed by fake news, misinformation, and disinformation, especially on social media and unverified online platforms.
He noted that manipulated videos, misleading headlines, and false election reports have the potential to create panic, undermine public trust, and threaten the peaceful conduct of elections.
The REC appealed to media practitioners to embrace responsible and professional reporting by avoiding sensationalism, inflammatory content, and divisive rhetoric capable of heating the polity.
He further charged journalists to promote issue-based campaigns, ensure balanced coverage for all political parties, and collaborate closely with INEC’s communication channels for timely verification of election-related information.
“We have observed in recent electoral processes how fake news can spread rapidly and create tension capable of affecting voter turnout, public trust, and even security situations.
“The media is not just an observer in the electoral process; the media is a strategic partner in safeguarding democracy,” he added.
In his remarks, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ekiti Council, comrade Kayode Babatuyi, reaffirmed the union’s commitment to combating fake news and strengthening ethical journalism ahead of the election.
He hinted that the union had taken deliberate steps to regulate online journalism in the state by integrating online publishers into the NUJ structure to ensure accountability and adherence to professional ethics.
According to him, “before now, online journalists were not part of our union, and that made it difficult to control activities in that space,” he said.
“Today, we have an online chapel in the state to ensure that journalists operating online platforms can be held accountable whenever they go against professional ethics.”
The number one journalist in the state observed that most cases of misinformation circulating online often originate from politically motivated social media actors rather than professional journalists.
He enjoyed media practitioners to remain committed to accuracy, fairness, and verification in their reportage while supporting efforts aimed at ensuring peaceful, credible, transparent and acceptable elections come June 20 and beyond.
