The International Press Centre (IPC) and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) have agreed to checkmate the menace of fake news given its potential to undermine the electoral process and erode its integrity.

Further to this, both bodies are poised to converge on Saturday, December 10, 2022 in Abuja to brainstorm on ways to achieve this critically urgent objective of tackling the challenge of disinformation and misinformation.

A statement by the Communications Officer of IPC, Olutoyin Ayoade, which disclosed this, said: “if the spread of fake news in the electoral process is left unchecked it could deny the voters the opportunity to make informed choices at the polls while it may also induce hate speech and electoral violence”.

“As observed during the Nigeria 2019 elections, fake news can be potentially weaponized, if appropriate measures are not properly established to tackle it”, the statement added.

The statement further disclosed that this move had become imperative as the 2023 elections draws near, thus necessitating experts from INEC, the Media and the Civil Society to assemble discuss this teething issue.

Ayoade’s statement stated that the interactive session is being organised by the IPC as the lead partner of component 4 (Support to the Media) of the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria-Phase II (EUSDGN II) Project.

According to the IPC spokesperson, the interactive session is slated to have at least 40 stakeholders, who are expected at the interface, such as personalities like INEC Commissioner for Information and Voter Education, Festus Okoye, who will give the keynote address outlining measures for curbing fake news in the electoral process.

Others would be the Chairman of the Editorial Board of Premium Times and Senior Fellow of Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Jibrin Ibrahim, correspondents, CSO representatives, the INEC Director of Voter Education, Ayo Aluko and the Chief Press Secretary to the INEC Chairman, Rotimi Oyekanmi.

The specific objective of the EU funded media component is to ensure that, “The Media, including New and Social Media, provides fair, accurate, ethical and inclusive coverage of the Electoral Process”.