INEC Official Reveals Ordeal with Armed Election Thugs as Commission Moves to Shield 2027 Polls from Fake News

As Nigeria begins preparations for the 2027 general election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised fresh concerns over the growing influence of fake news, disinformation, and electoral violence, warning that the threats could undermine public confidence in the country's democratic process if left unchecked.

The warning came in Abuja on Tuesday during a stakeholders’ dialogue focused on promoting electoral peace through media and information literacy, where election managers, media experts, development partners, and civil society groups gathered to discuss ways of protecting the integrity of future elections.

However, the event took a dramatic turn when an INEC official shared a chilling account of how she was once kidnapped by armed political thugs and forced to manipulate election materials under threat of death.

Mrs. Esther Chibukem, Assistant Director of Information and Publication at INEC, recounted the experience while highlighting the dangers election officials face during polls.

According to her, the incident occurred while she was serving as a presiding officer during an election in Kogi State. She said armed men intercepted her, seized sensitive electoral materials, and transported her to a hidden location where they demanded that she thumbprint ballot papers in favour of their preferred political party.

Surrounded by heavily armed men and facing threats from guns and knives, Chibukem said she found herself in a life-threatening situation that exposed the darker side of Nigeria’s electoral system.

She explained that experiences such as hers demonstrate why electoral integrity cannot be protected by INEC alone, stressing that political parties, security agencies, the media, civil society organisations, and citizens all have a role to play in defending democracy.

Beyond physical attacks, Chibukem warned that elections are increasingly being threatened by a more subtle but equally dangerous weapon - the deliberate spread of false information.

She noted that misleading reports and fabricated stories now travel at unprecedented speed through social media platforms, often creating confusion, inflaming tensions, and damaging public trust in democratic institutions.

The INEC official cited several instances where false reports targeting the commission circulated widely online, including fabricated claims about the death of the commission’s chairman and other misleading narratives designed to discredit electoral processes.

According to her, many acts of election-related violence are preceded by misinformation, hate speech, political propaganda, vote-buying schemes, and other forms of manipulation that create an atmosphere of hostility long before voters head to the polls.

She stressed that rebuilding trust in the electoral process remains one of INEC’s major priorities ahead of the next election cycle.

To achieve this, the commission has intensified engagement with political parties, youth groups, traditional institutions, media organisations, and community leaders across the country.

Chibukem also expressed concern over the continued exploitation of young people by politicians during elections.

Advertisement

She narrated how one young man involved in election violence told her he received only ₦5,000 and a loaf of bread for participating in activities capable of destabilising communities and threatening lives.

The revelation, she said, highlights how vulnerable youths are often used as tools in political battles while the sponsors remain far removed from the consequences of their actions.

She identified vote buying, political thuggery, hate speech, weak internal democracy within political parties, and the culture of impunity as some of the major factors driving electoral conflicts across the country.

The INEC official urged political parties to address grievances transparently and strengthen internal democratic processes to reduce tensions that frequently spill over into violence.

She further argued that peacebuilding efforts should not begin on election day but must start from the earliest stages of the electoral process, including voter registration exercises, party primaries, campaigns, voting, and post-election dispute resolution.

Speaking at the event, UNESCO Regional Representative for the Sahel, Dimitri Sanga, said the challenge of safeguarding democracy has become more complex with the rise of artificial intelligence and digital technologies.

While acknowledging that technology has expanded opportunities for civic participation and political engagement, Sanga warned that the same tools are increasingly being used to spread disinformation, hate speech, and AI-generated content capable of misleading the public.

He described media and information literacy as a critical democratic tool that enables citizens to distinguish facts from manipulation and make informed decisions.

According to him, democratic institutions can only thrive when citizens are equipped with the skills needed to critically assess information and resist attempts to distort public discourse.

Sanga reaffirmed UNESCO’s commitment to supporting initiatives aimed at strengthening information integrity, promoting democratic values, and empowering young Nigerians to become responsible digital citizens.

Also speaking, Director of the International Media and Information Literacy Institute (IMILI), Dr. Sharon Omotosho, said the programme was designed to prepare key stakeholders for the information challenges that often accompany elections.

She noted that participants drawn from political parties, media houses, government agencies, and civil society organisations would be expected to transfer the knowledge gained during the dialogue to their respective institutions and communities.

Omotosho said responsible communication would be crucial to ensuring peaceful elections, urging journalists, politicians, influencers, and content creators to verify information before sharing it and avoid content capable of inciting violence.

As political activities gradually build toward 2027, stakeholders at the dialogue agreed that the battle for credible elections will be fought not only at polling units but also in the digital space, where misinformation and disinformation increasingly shape public perception and political behaviour.