By Chinwendu Agoha (Media & Governance Correspondent)
The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called for a stronger and more structured partnership between the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and the media ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
President of the Guild, Mr. Eze Anaba, made the call on Monday in Abuja at the INEC–NGE Strategic Workshop, stressing that the credibility of Nigeria’s elections depends largely on public trust, accurate information and transparency in the electoral process.
Anaba said elections were not merely about casting ballots but about citizens having confidence that their votes would count and that institutions responsible for conducting elections would operate fairly and professionally.
According to him, the media has a critical responsibility in building and sustaining that confidence through accurate, balanced and fair reporting.
He, however, noted that journalists and editors could not effectively perform this role without credible, timely and accessible information from INEC.
He expressed concern over the growing influence of misinformation, disinformation, manipulated content, deepfakes and partisan narratives, urging INEC and the media to strengthen communication and information-sharing mechanisms.
The NGE president challenged participants at the workshop to develop practical answers to how INEC could communicate more effectively with citizens and how journalists could improve electoral reporting while confronting disinformation without suppressing legitimate criticism.
He said: “The credibility of the media is itself an essential component of the credibility of the electoral process.”
Anaba maintained that credible elections remained a shared responsibility involving INEC, political parties, candidates, the media and citizens.
He urged participants to approach the engagement with openness and candour, saying the workshop should mark the beginning of a continuous partnership rather than a one-off engagement.
The NGE, he assured, remained committed to working with INEC and other stakeholders to promote elections Nigerians could trust and a media capable of providing citizens with reliable electoral information. NNL.
