The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called for changes to the appointment of electoral officials, the introduction of independent candidacy and the resolution of election disputes before declared winners take office.
The proposals formed part of the resolutions of the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference, held in Enugu from September 24 to 26 under the theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive.”
More than 300 editors, publishers, senior journalists and other stakeholders attended the conference, which examined electoral administration, judicial intervention, election security, artificial intelligence and the responsibilities of the media ahead of the 2027 polls.
In its communiqué, the conference urged sustained constitutional and electoral reforms to address structural weaknesses affecting public confidence in elections.
It specifically sought a review of the procedures for appointing the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners and Resident Electoral Commissioners, as well as State Electoral Commissioners.
The editors also called for a review of restrictions preventing ordinary voters from challenging election results and the creation of a constitutional framework for independent candidates.
On presidential elections, the conference proposed considering a threshold requiring a run-off when the highest-scoring candidate fails to obtain at least 50 per cent of votes cast.
It further urged that electoral disputes be concluded within appropriate timelines before winners are sworn into office.
The conference expressed concern about excessive or intimidating security deployments during elections and the increasing influence of tribunals in determining political outcomes.
While recognising the need to address genuine electoral irregularities, it called for adjudication that is timely, transparent, predictable and impartial, with full respect for judicial independence.
The editors maintained that the ballot remained the principal means through which citizens exercised their sovereign will. Its credibility, they said, depended on reliable information, confidence in electoral institutions and assurance that votes would be accurately counted and respected.
Poor governance, electoral violence, intimidation, administrative shortcomings and declining trust were identified as major contributors to voter apathy.
The conference also warned that generative artificial intelligence, deepfakes, voice cloning and automated networks could undermine the integrity of election information.
It noted that these technologies could be used to circulate fabricated results, cloned voices of public officials, forged documents, manipulated result sheets and false reports bearing the identities of established media organisations.
The editors warned of a broader loss of trust when citizens could no longer distinguish authentic information from manufactured content.
They urged newsrooms to institutionalise fact-checking and incorporate digital verification, deepfake detection and forensic tools into their editorial processes.
INEC was also advised to develop an Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework to ensure that automated electoral processes remained subject to human oversight, transparency, accountability and legal verification.
The conference acknowledged the commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections, including technological initiatives, staff welfare measures and nationwide readiness assessments. It nevertheless stressed the need to protect the integrity of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and INEC’s institutional independence.
Editors and media organisations were cautioned against publishing or amplifying unverified election results. The conference emphasised that INEC has the statutory responsibility for declaring results.
It reaffirmed the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage, Revised 2022, and urged news organisations to train journalists on its provisions before the polls.
The code was jointly endorsed by the Newspaper Proprietors’ Association of Nigeria, Broadcasting Organisations of Nigeria, Nigeria Union of Journalists, NGE and Guild of Corporate Online Publishers.
The editors restated the media’s duty to scrutinise government, political parties and other centres of power while reporting verified achievements and developments fairly.
They said editorial neutrality required impartial treatment of legitimate political contenders, but should not prevent the exposure of verified wrongdoing or place facts on the same footing as unsupported claims.
Governments and political actors were urged to provide equitable media access for government and opposition voices while respecting editorial independence.
The conference also demanded adequate protection for journalists, saying elections could not be fully transparent where reporters were threatened, attacked, obstructed or denied the opportunity to observe proceedings independently.
It called on security agencies and political actors to enable journalists to perform their constitutional and professional duties without intimidation.
On terrorism reporting, the editors adopted the principle, “Inform, Don’t Amplify,” urging newsrooms to avoid giving terrorist organisations unnecessary publicity or propaganda value.
They advised journalists to identify terrorist assertions as claims until independently verified and to avoid reproducing recruitment messages, slogans, propaganda or graphic materials without compelling editorial justification.
The conference reaffirmed that the media should remain “pro-Nigeria, pro-Ballot and pro-People,” rather than align with any political party.
It urged government, electoral officials, security agencies, the judiciary, political parties, traditional and religious institutions, civil society, technology platforms and media organisations to discharge their responsibilities with integrity.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, chaired the conference. John Cardinal Onaiyekan, Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, delivered the keynote address.
Vice President Kashim Shettima participated virtually as Special Guest of Honour, while Enugu State Governor Peter Mbah served as Chief Host.
