The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has cautioned journalists against treating WhatsApp messages, Facebook posts, voice notes, photographs and documents circulated by individual staff members or political party agents as official positions of the Commission.
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The Kaduna State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Prof. Saidu Ahmed, gave the warning during a three-day retreat organised by the Kano State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists in Kaduna.
The retreat, themed “2027 General Elections: Navigating Legal, Security, and Ethical Challenges in the Media,” focused on legal, security and ethical issues likely to affect journalists covering the 2027 general elections.
Ahmed, who was represented by an INEC supervisor, Malam Ahmed Musa, urged journalists to familiarise themselves with the Electoral Act 2026 and ensure that their reporting of electoral activities reflects the provisions of the law.
He said the media plays a critical role in shaping public perception and warned that inaccurate or irresponsible reporting could undermine national cohesion.
“You can make or break even a nation. So it is always on you to try to make a nation, not to break a nation,” he said.
According to him, the Electoral Act 2026, signed into law on February 18, introduced significant changes that would affect both the conduct of elections and the way journalists report them.
Ahmed said Section 47 of the Act made the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System mandatory, while electronic transmission of polling-unit results had also become compulsory.
He added that Section 60(6) prescribed penalties for presiding officers who deliberately obstruct electronic transmission of results, while Section 62(9) provided punishment for returning or collation officers who intentionally collate or announce false results.
The REC further said the new law abolished indirect voting in political party primaries, requiring parties to adopt either direct primaries or consensus.
He also stated that courts could no longer halt party primaries or electoral processes through injunctions, with disputes arising from such processes to be addressed afterwards.
Ahmed urged journalists to understand the different stages of the electoral process, including party primaries, nomination of candidates, publication of candidates’ lists, campaigns, pre-election litigation, election-day activities and post-election petitions.
He specifically warned reporters against relying on unofficial communication when attributing statements to INEC.
“At the national level, the official communication channel is through the INEC Chairman and the National Commissioner in charge of voter education and publicity.
“At the state level, the official channel is the Resident Electoral Commissioner, who may delegate another official to communicate on behalf of the state office,” he said.
Ahmed also cautioned journalists against confusing political party agents with INEC officials.
“An agent does not work for INEC. If it is not on the record from a named officer or a signed Commission document, then it is not INEC speaking,” he said.
On media accreditation, the REC said journalists and media organisations would be required to obtain accreditation before covering electoral activities.
He explained that applications would be processed through the INEC Media Accreditation Portal, with media organisations expected to submit formal letters of introduction, details of journalists assigned to cover the elections and passport photographs.
According to him, INEC would announce the opening and closing dates for the portal, which would automatically shut once the deadline elapsed.
Ahmed said accreditation could be denied where the identity of a journalist or media organisation could not be professionally verified.
He added that accredited journalists would have lawful access to polling units, collation centres and other designated electoral facilities, but stressed that accreditation tags were personal and could not be transferred.
The REC also warned journalists against entering voting cubicles, handling electoral materials, obstructing electoral officials or interfering with voting procedures.
“You don’t have access to the voting cubicle. We operate a secret ballot system. You cannot film a voter while casting a ballot because that amounts to revealing the voter’s choice,” he said.
He advised journalists to photograph result sheets only after they had been completed, signed and posted as required.
Ahmed further urged reporters to document polling-unit codes, names of electoral officials and the timing of electoral activities, noting that journalists’ notebooks could provide useful evidence when verifying or defending their reports.
Meanwhile, the Kano State Government urged journalists to promote development journalism and provide balanced coverage of government policies and projects.
The Secretary to the State Government, Alhaji Umar Faruk, in a message delivered by the Chief Press Secretary to Governor Abba Kabir Yusuf, Mustapha Muhammad, said journalists should go beyond reporting ceremonies and project inaugurations to investigate whether government initiatives were actually meeting the needs of their intended beneficiaries.
Faruk said development journalism should not be confused with government propaganda, but should focus on the impact, quality, beneficiaries and implementation of public policies and projects.
He identified education, healthcare, agriculture, youth empowerment, women’s development, employment, environmental protection, infrastructure and social investment as areas requiring sustained media scrutiny.
According to him, citizens have a right to know how public resources are being spent and whether government policies are improving their lives.
He added that constructive criticism remained an important part of journalism and could help governments identify and respond to public concerns.
Also speaking, the Kaduna State Commissioner for Information and Culture, Ahmed Maiyaki, urged journalists to uphold professional ethics and strengthen political reporting ahead of the 2027 elections.
Maiyaki said membership of a political party did not necessarily prevent an individual from practising journalism, but stressed that journalists must maintain professional discipline and adhere strictly to ethical standards regardless of political affiliation or pressure.
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