INEC Warns Journalists: Know the Law, Report Elections Responsibly

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged journalists to familiarise themselves with electoral processes and the legal framework ahead of the 2027 general elections to ensure accurate and responsible reporting and minimise avoidable litigation.

The Kaduna State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Saidu Ahmed, made the call at a retreat organised by the Kano State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Represented by an INEC Supervisor, Ahmed Musa, the REC said journalists should understand the various stages of the electoral process, including political party primaries, nomination of candidates, publication of candidates’ lists, campaigns, pre-election litigation, election-day activities and post-election petitions.

He also urged journalists to study the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, noting that a proper understanding of the law would enable them to provide accurate, credible and balanced coverage of the 2027 elections.

Ahmed said the retreat provided an opportunity to engage journalists on election reporting, the legal framework, security issues and ethical boundaries.
He described the media as a critical stakeholder in the electoral process, warning that irresponsible reporting could undermine national cohesion.

“You can make or break even a nation. So it is always on you to try to make a nation, not to break a nation,” he said.
The REC urged journalists to situate their election reports within the new legal framework and understand the rights and limitations attached to media accreditation.

According to him, the Electoral Act 2026, signed into law by President Bola Tinubu on February 18, 2026, introduced significant changes that would affect the conduct and reporting of the 2027 general elections.

He said Section 47 of the Act made the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) a legal requirement, while electronic transmission of polling-unit results had also become mandatory.
Ahmed said Section 60(6) prescribed penalties for Presiding Officers who deliberately obstructed the electronic transmission of results, while Section 62(9) provided severe punishment for Returning or Collation Officers who intentionally collated or announced false results.

He added that the new law had abolished indirect voting in political party primaries, requiring political parties to adopt either direct primaries or consensus.

According to him, courts can no longer stop primary elections or electoral processes through injunctions, as electoral disputes would be addressed after the relevant process.

Ahmed also advised journalists to rely on INEC’s official channels of communication to avoid publishing unverified information.

“At the national level, the official communication channel is through the INEC Chairman and the National Commissioner in charge of voter education and publicity.

“At the state level, the official channel is the Resident Electoral Commissioner, who may delegate another official to communicate on behalf of the state office,” he said.

He cautioned journalists against treating WhatsApp messages, Facebook posts, voice notes, photographs or documents circulated by individual INEC staff or political party agents as official statements of the commission.

“An agent does not work for INEC. If it is not on the record from a named officer or a signed commission document, then it is not INEC speaking,” he said.