The Oyo State Journalists have been asked to move beyond reporting political rallies, party defections, and campaign promises to scrutinising candidates’ manifestos, verifying public claims, and tracking government performance ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Making this call at a one-day interface with members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), online publishers and editors on professional and democratic accountability journalism in Ibadan, Oyo State, are the General Editor, Nigeria Tribune, Dr Taiwo Adisa, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Lagos, Nigeria, Lanre Arogundade, NDR/IPC Facilitator, Olusola Oludiran, and Chairman, Oyo State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Comrade Akeem Abas
The engagement, organised by the International Press Centre (IPC), and funded by the European Union (EU) on October 13, 2026, focused on strengthening the capacity of journalists to provide accurate, balanced, inclusive, and public-interest reporting as the country approaches the 2027 elections.
Some Participants
Speakers at the programme stressed that electoral journalism should place citizens’ concerns at the centre of political coverage, enabling voters to make informed decisions based on candidates’ records, policy proposals and capacity to address pressing social and economic challenges.
In his PowerPoint presentation titled Integrating fact-checking into democratic and accountability reporting, Oludiran warned that misinformation and disinformation could undermine voters’ ability to make informed decisions, particularly as artificial intelligence makes deceptive content easier to produce and distribute.
Oludiran explained that democratic reporting involves gathering, verifying, interpreting and disseminating accurate and diverse information that enables citizens to understand public affairs and participate meaningfully in democratic processes.
He stated that accountability reporting involves systematically investigating the conduct, decisions, promises, and performance of individuals and institutions exercising public power or influence.
He argued that the media could not adequately perform its watchdog function without verifying claims and examining whether government decisions and actions were supported by evidence and served the public interest.
Oludiran distinguished between misinformation, which is false or inaccurate information shared without deliberate intent to deceive; disinformation, which is deliberately fabricated or manipulated content intended to deceive; and malinformation, which involves using genuine information maliciously or out of context to cause harm.
He identified fabricated news stories, manipulated photographs, deepfake videos, AI-generated images, recycled footage, false endorsements and fabricated election results as forms of deceptive content that could circulate during election periods.
According to him, such material could suppress voter participation, undermine confidence in election results, incite violence and erode public trust in the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and other democratic institutions.
He explained that people could fall for false information because it reinforces their existing beliefs, triggers strong emotions or becomes familiar through repeated exposure.
Oludiran urged journalists to establish whether a claim was verifiable, assess its public significance, identify its source and consider whether examining it would serve the public interest without compromising impartiality.
He also outlined verification procedures, including tracing claims to their sources, consulting reliable data, examining relevant dates and contexts, seeking independent expert opinions and giving people accused or implicated in a claim a fair opportunity to respond.
He cautioned that no digital verification tool was completely reliable, advising journalists to combine technological tools with human judgement, contextual analysis and credible sources.
Oludiran added that fact-checking reports should clearly present the claim being examined, the background, the evidence gathered, the findings and the final verdict. Where evidence was insufficient, journalists should explain the limitations rather than present uncertain conclusions as facts.
He said transparent verification, proper sourcing and clear corrections could improve media credibility, strengthen public trust and help citizens make better-informed electoral decisions.
The speakers collectively urged journalists to approach the 2027 elections with courage, fairness, accuracy and professionalism, stressing that the media’s responsibility extends beyond reporting electoral events to ensuring that political leaders answer for their promises and performance.
They maintained that placing citizens’ concerns at the centre of electoral coverage, alongside rigorous verification and sustained scrutiny of public officials, would help strengthen democratic accountability and protect the integrity of Nigeria’s electoral process.
Adisa, the guest speaker, in his paper presentation, titled “2027 General Election in the Context of Democratic and Accountability Reporting: Scanning the Electoral Environment and Reporting Citizens’ Priority Concerns,” argued that the media had a critical responsibility to address the growing disillusionment with democracy by holding political leaders accountable for their promises and performance.
Adisa described the gap between the expectations raised by democracy and what it delivers to citizens as a persistent challenge, noting that the media must play its watchdog role to strengthen democratic governance.
He said journalists should function as auditors of government activities, gatekeepers of public information and ombudsmen who demand explanations from those exercising power.
According to him, professional accountability requires journalists to uphold the ethics of their profession in the pursuit of truth, while democratic accountability entails scrutinising public officials, institutions and other powerful actors.
He added that journalists must also recognise their civic responsibilities as citizens participating in the democratic process.
Adisa emphasised that accountability reporting requires more than reproducing official statements, urging journalists to ask difficult questions, examine evidence, verify details and follow up on issues until public institutions provide satisfactory explanations.
He said journalists must be people of integrity who can challenge authorities without fear, adding that effective scrutiny requires a firm grasp of facts, reliable data, and the timelines surrounding government decisions and actions.
Examining the political environment ahead of the 2027 elections, Adisa questioned the apparent reluctance of political parties and candidates to engage voters extensively despite the longer campaign period provided under the electoral framework.
He observed that, although campaigns for presidential and National Assembly elections opened on August 19, 2026, and those for governorship and state assembly elections began on September 9, many parties were still struggling to organise their campaign structures.
He noted that some parties were embroiled in internal disputes, while others had yet to put together the teams expected to communicate their manifestoes and policy proposals to the electorate.
According to Adisa, the situation raises questions about whether politicians are taking advantage of the opportunity to explain their programmes, engage communities and present alternatives to existing government policies.
He urged journalists to question presidential candidates who had not taken their campaigns to the states and governorship candidates who had yet to engage voters across local government areas.
Warning against the monetisation of elections, which poses a threat to democratic accountability, he argued that journalists must monitor campaign spending and investigate the relationships between candidates, political financiers and those who eventually benefit from government decisions.
Adisa identified development, education, agriculture, rural roads, security, healthcare, employment-related economic concerns, potable water and electricity as issues likely to shape voters’ decisions in Oyo State.
He noted that the state had a politically conscious electorate, an active media environment and strong competition among political parties, making issue-based reporting particularly important ahead of the elections.
According to him, Oyo’s extensive media landscape, including radio stations, online television channels, podcasts, social media platforms and online newspapers, gives journalists significant opportunities to influence political discourse and ensure that citizens’ concerns receive adequate attention.
Earlier, in his welcome address, Arogundade, who was represented by Melody Akinjiyan, IPC Programme Officer, urged journalists to reconsider how they cover elections, stressing that electoral reporting should extend beyond political activities to the aspirations and concerns of citizens.
Arogundade, the former Chairman of Lagos NUJ and Feature Editor of the defunct Concord Newspaper, held that elections were more than campaigns, rallies, candidates and the announcement of results, emphasising citizens’ right to reliable information that enables them to make informed decisions about their future.
He warned against sensationalism, unverified claims, inflammatory rhetoric, and the unchecked spread of misinformation and disinformation, which could undermine public confidence, deepen social divisions and weaken democratic institutions.
He called for greater attention to issues such as the economy, education, healthcare, security, employment and infrastructure, as well as the inclusion of women, young people, persons with disabilities and other groups often underrepresented in electoral discourse.
Arogundade also highlighted the changing information environment created by digital platforms, noting that although they have expanded opportunities for public participation, they have also accelerated the circulation of false information, manipulated content, hate speech and divisive narratives.
He urged journalists to strengthen their verification skills, resist pressure to prioritise speed over accuracy and make fact-checking an integral part of responsible electoral reporting.
He further emphasised the importance of protecting journalists’ safety and professional independence, saying media practitioners should be able to carry out their duties without intimidation, harassment or unlawful interference.
Abass, who was represented by Comrade Abiodun Atilola, the Vice Chairman of the Oyo State Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), stressed the importance of conflict-sensitive reporting, urging journalists to use language that encourages peaceful participation rather than inflaming political tensions.
He said the Oyo NUJ leadership remained committed to professional development, ethical standards and journalists’ welfare, noting that the council had promoted capacity building in digital journalism and artificial intelligence, encouraged responsible reporting and fact-checking, and advocated editorial independence.
He announced plans to honour Arogundade at the grand finale of the NUJ Oyo State Council’s 60th anniversary celebration scheduled for November 7, 2026, in Ibadan.
