Our fears for 2023 elections —  CSOs, others

As the 2023 general elections draw closer, the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, is not leaving any stone unturned to ensure that nothing truncates the electoral process and democratic participation of the citizenry.

To achieve this, the electoral umpire has been engaging every relevant stakeholder, including the media and Civil Society Organisations, CSOs.

Recognizing the important role the media and CSOs play in the sustainability of democracy and in influencing opinions, the commission has been interfacing with journalists and other media practitioners.

At a recent one-day Media/CSO Interface with the INEC, participants admitted the dangers posed by twin menace of disinformation and misinformation to the electoral process, expressing fears that if not checked, could derail the 2023 general elections.

The event, tagged: “Media/CSO Interface on Identifying and Mitigating Flashpoints of Electoral Misinformation and Disinformation”, held at the Rockview Hotel in the Wuse area of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Abuja, was organised by the International Press Centre, IPC, under the Support to Media of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Phase II, EU-SDGNII.

The interface was held against the backdrop of growing public concerns over the cross-cutting issues of insecurity, particularly attacks on INEC facilities, and the deployment of technology relating to the preparedness of the commission for the 2023 elections.

It was also aimed at identifying and mitigating the spate of fake news as well as unfounded and unguarded opinionated expressions which lead to misinformation and disinformation and tend to rubbish efforts geared at delivering credible elections next year.

The workshop which attracted a select audience of about 50 stakeholders including INEC officials, editors, correspondents and CSOs representatives, was chaired by Prof Jibrin Ibrahim, Chairman of the Editorial Board of Premium Times and Senior Fellow of the Centre for Democracy and Development, CDD.

It allowed stakeholders to flag issues of misinformation and disinformation that may affect the conduct of the elections and provided the opportunity for INEC to have insights and an overview of indicative feedback on public perception of the commission’s preparations ahead of the 2023 elections.

Prof. Ibrahim, in his contribution, said there was an emerging global tendency to disbelieve facts and act on falsehoods.

To that extent, he charged participants to admit the fact that the challenges ahead of the 2023  elections revolve around building capacities to recognise and de-emphasise misinformation and disinformation with the view to deescalating high-level conflicts which may pose threats to the successful conduct of the polls.

Executive Director at IPC,   Mr. Lanre Arogundade, said the interface was held within the context of the need to make an appropriate strategic response to the twin menace of disinformation and misinformation so that the worst of information disorder does not envelope the electoral landscape.

This, according to him, if unchecked, could lead to a lack of trust in the electoral process and unwelcome disruptions.

“The specific objective is to ensure that the Media, including New and Social Media, provides fair, accurate, ethical and inclusive coverage of the electoral process.

“For us in the media, it is also a straightforward case that we cannot effectively perform the function of providing citizens with the information they need to make informed choices at elections if the same citizens are confused about what to believe and what not to believe.

“Again, that the INEC agreed to the idea of this interface shows that we share a mutual concern about the damaging effect of disinformation and misinformation. This interface, therefore, is one of the important steps being taken by the IPC, as the lead partner of Component 4, EU-SDGNII”, Arogundade explained.

Speaking on the flashpoints of electoral disinformation and misinformation, a special guest at the occasion,   Mr. Festus Okoye, said INEC in recognition of the important role stakeholders play in the electoral and political processes, was engaging with political parties, civil society organizations, the media and security agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security, ICEES.

These engagements, Okoye stated, have proved very useful in building trust and confidence in the electoral process, assuring that the commission would continue to engage with all stakeholders, including relevant Ministries, Departments and Agencies, MDAs, of government to seek areas of collaboration in improving the electoral process.

The INEC Commissioner and Chairman of Information and Voter Education, however, called on the critical stakeholders to rise and fight the spectre of misinformation and disinformation and resist deliberate falsehood aimed at delegitimizing the electoral process.

“It is important to verify every piece of information before sharing. The commission believes that the antidote to fake news is greater openness and transparency. As we continue to prepare for the 2023 general election, the INEC will rely on the support of all stakeholders and friends of Nigeria to overcome the identified challenges. Resort to misinformation and disinformation will not help in the growth and sustenance of the electoral and democratic process”, Okoye assured.

The session also received expert inputs on fact-checking and information management from the Senior Programme Manager at CDD, Mr. Austin Aigbe,   and the Editor, Dubawa, Mr. Kemi Busari.

In light of the challenge of multiple registration and under-age voting, the meeting highlighted the need to deepen further collaboration at the state level.

A communiqué issued at the end of the interactive session observed that misinformation and disinformation pose threats to the electoral process and popular democratic participation, and offered to collaborate with INEC to counter the narrative.

The communiqué, signed by Lanre Arogundade, noted that journalists lack adequate capacity and resources to effectively deliver on their constitutional duty of defending democracy, and are not being adequately sensitised about the need to be guided by the ethics of the profession.

Arising from the discussions and the key observations, the communiqué recommended that media establishments and owners should deploy appropriate tools to detect and deflect misinformation and disinformation.

“INEC and other stakeholders should explore the infinite potential of our youths in ICT for them to use their skills in identifying as well as obliterating threats and impediments to the proper dissemination of credible and usable information.

“The media should employ effective methods and devices to fact-check as well as do live fact-checking during live electoral activities especially debates by political parties and candidates.

“Despite obvious challenges, editors and gatekeepers must do more and be scrupulous in processing copies submitted by their reporters before publishing; and that media must report accurately the mechanics of election administration to assure people of the fidelity of the processes and restore confidence.

“Media owners and editors should recognise that disinformation and misinformation are serious ethical infractions that should attract sanctions by the appropriate organs of media professional bodies such as Newspapers Proprietors Association of Nigeria, NPAN, Nigeria Guild of Editors, NGE, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NUJ, among others”, the communiqué recommended

(Vanguard)