The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called for a stronger and more structured partnership between the media and the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to rebuild public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process.
NGE President, Eze Anaba, made the call on Monday in Abuja while speaking at the INEC–NGE Strategic Workshop, organised by the electoral commission in collaboration with the Guild.
Anaba said the engagement was particularly important as Nigeria approaches another round of elections, stressing that the credibility of the democratic process remained a matter of profound national importance.
He said elections were not simply about casting ballots, but fundamentally about trust and citizens’ confidence that their votes would count and that electoral institutions would conduct the process transparently, fairly and professionally.
“The media has a critical role in building and sustaining that trust,” Anaba said, noting that editors and journalists determine, to a significant extent, the information that reaches the public, how it is presented and the context in which it is understood.
He said the responsibility required the media to uphold accuracy, fairness, balance and the public interest in its coverage of electoral activities.
According to him, however, the media could not effectively perform its watchdog and public enlightenment roles without credible, timely and accessible information from the electoral management body.
He expressed concern over the growing influence of misinformation, disinformation, manipulated content, deepfakes and partisan narratives, which he said had made regular and transparent communication between INEC and the media increasingly important.
Anaba therefore urged both institutions to build their relationship around openness, mutual respect and continuous engagement.
He said the workshop provided an opportunity for INEC and media leaders to critically examine existing challenges and develop practical strategies for improving electoral communication and reporting.
“How can INEC communicate more effectively with the public? How can editors and journalists report electoral processes more accurately? How do we collectively confront disinformation without undermining legitimate criticism?” he asked.
He also challenged participants to explore how the media’s enormous reach and influence could be harnessed to strengthen citizens’ confidence in elections.
The NGE president stressed that credible elections were a shared responsibility involving INEC, political parties, candidates, the media and the electorate.
“INEC has its constitutional mandate; political parties and candidates have their responsibilities; the media has its own obligations; and ultimately, citizens must be adequately informed and empowered to participate in the democratic process,” he said.
Anaba further argued that the credibility of the media was inseparable from the credibility of the electoral process, urging editors and journalists to recognise the responsibility that came with their role in shaping public understanding of elections.
He called on participants to approach the workshop with “candour, open-mindedness and a willingness to listen”, adding that the engagement should enable stakeholders to identify gaps in their existing relationship and confront electoral communication challenges honestly.
The Guild, he said, remained committed to working with INEC and other stakeholders to promote elections that Nigerians could trust and a media that citizens could rely upon for credible information.
Anaba expressed confidence that the workshop would not be a one-off engagement, but would mark the beginning of a stronger, more structured and continuous partnership between INEC and the Nigerian media.
He wished participants fruitful deliberations and meaningful outcomes.