INEC Tasks Voter Education Officers on Misinformation, Voter Apathy
The Independent National Electoral Commission, (INEC) has charged Voter Education Desk Officers, (VEDOs) with the responsibility of proactively combating misinformation and election-related disinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Rivers State, Johnson Sinikiem, gave the charge on Monday, September 14, 2026, at the official opening of a one-day capacity-building workshop for Voter Education Desk Officers in Port Harcourt. The workshop, brought together VEDOs from four South-South states, including Edo, Delta, Bayelsa and Rivers.
Sinikiem described the officers as frontline ambassadors in safeguarding the integrity of the electoral process, stressing the need for dynamic and proactive voter education. He urged the participants to deploy modern communication strategies across traditional, digital and grassroots platforms to counter fake news, election-related disinformation and voter apathy.
The REC also called for increased voter education and outreach to underrepresented groups, particularly women, youths and Persons with Disabilities, (PWDs), to ensure greater participation in the electoral process.
Sinikiem reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to providing the necessary logistics, materials and administrative support required to enable the officers carry out their field operations effectively.
