ECOWAS raises concern over fake news ahead of Nigeria polls
The Commission of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) has expressed concern about incidents of fake news, disinformation, misinformation and incitement on social media a few hours before Nigeria’s presidential and National Assembly elections.
ECOWAS expressed this concern in a statement in Abuja on Friday evening.
The Commission, “noted the incidents of fake news, disinformation, misinformation and incitement on social media.”
It, therefore, urged the political parties and their leaders to caution their followers against any acts or pronouncements liable to endanger the peaceful conduct of the elections.
ECOWAS also urged the electorate to conduct themselves with maturity and a sense of patriotism on election day.
It further urged the security services to secure the environment for peaceful polls, while maintaining their neutrality.
Also, the ECOWAS Commission encouraged the political parties and their leaders to accept the eventual outcome of the polls as will be announced by INEC and urges any aggrieved parties to seek redress through laid down rules and regulations governing the electoral process.
Earlier on Friday an audio recording where the Presidential Candidate of the People’s Democratic Party, Atiku Abubakar, was purported to be planning the rigging of the election with two other people went viral.
Checks have shown that the audio recorded was doctored.
Atiku has also dismissed the audio recording as fake news, urging Nigerians to ignore it.
