INEC Warns Journalists Against Fake News Before Ekiti Governorship Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission cautioned journalists and media practitioners against spreading fake news and prematurely declaring results ahead of the Ekiti State governorship election scheduled for June 20, 2026. The warning came during a Media Stakeholders' Forum held in Ado-Ekiti on May 26, where officials stressed that misinformation and what they termed 'information pollution' threaten public confidence and peace.

Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Adedayo Oketola, identified information pollution as a primary threat to peaceful elections. Resident Electoral Commissioner for Ekiti State, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, urged media executives to activate fact-checking protocols to counter false narratives. The forum was organized by Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, to deepen collaboration between INEC and the media.

INEC outlined election logistics, confirming that 13 political parties will participate across 2,445 polling units. The commission will deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Result Viewing Portal to ensure transparency. Permanent Voter Card collection is scheduled from June 4 to June 11, 2026.

The Nigeria Union of Journalists, represented by Chairman Kayode Babatuyi, pledged commitment to ethical coverage and announced measures to curb fake news among online journalists, signaling a cooperative effort to maintain electoral integrity.