Ekiti State Election: INEC Sounds Warning on Low Voter Turnout, Misinformation Before June 20 Vote

Concerns have been raised by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) regarding the growing issues of voter apathy and the spread of fake news, which pose significant threats to democratic participation and electoral credibility, ahead of the June 20 governorship election in Ekiti State.

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These concerns were expressed during a forum organised by INEC, titled "Forum for Media Executives, Producers, Reporters and On-Air Personalities", which aimed to prepare for the upcoming off-cycle governorship poll in Ado-Ekiti.

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National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, highlighted the declining voter turnout as a major democratic challenge that requires immediate attention from stakeholders, particularly the media, during his speech at the forum.

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Haruna noted that voter participation in Nigeria has been steadily declining since the return to democratic rule in 1999, with turnout rates falling from approximately 60 per cent to nearly 30 per cent in recent elections, posing a significant threat to democratic legitimacy.

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Despite Ekiti State recording a relatively high turnout of about 40 per cent in the 2022 governorship election, more than half of registered voters still chose not to participate, with Haruna warning that persistent voter apathy could lead to governments that do not accurately represent the will of the electorate.

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According to Haruna, Ekiti State has seen 66,664 new voter registrations between 2025 and 2026, bringing the total number of registered voters in the state to 1,059,360 after updates and transfers, highlighting the need for increased civic participation.

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Haruna urged the media to take a more active role in reversing the trend of voter apathy, stressing the importance of journalists as key mobilisers of civic participation, and emphasising that no challenge demands more urgent attention than the crisis of voter apathy.

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He stated that for too long, democracy has accepted a situation where 70 per cent of voters stay away while 30 per cent decide the future for everyone, and called on media practitioners to strengthen fact-checking mechanisms and verify election-related information through INEC's official channels before publication.

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The Resident Electoral Commissioner in Ekiti State, Bunmi Omoseyindemi, warned that fake news, misinformation, and disinformation, particularly on social media, pose significant risks to the electoral process, and can trigger panic, undermine public confidence, and threaten the peaceful conduct of elections.

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Omoseyindemi urged journalists to avoid sensational reporting and divisive narratives, while promoting issue-based campaigns and balanced coverage of all political parties, and encouraged closer collaboration between the media and INEC to ensure timely verification of election-related information.

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He also emphasised that the media is not just an observer in the electoral process, but a strategic partner in safeguarding democracy, and has a critical role to play in ensuring the credibility of the electoral process.

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The Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) in Ekiti State, Kayode Babatuyi, reaffirmed the union's commitment to combating fake news and promoting ethical journalism ahead of the election, and noted that the union has integrated online journalists into its structure to improve accountability and curb misinformation in the digital space.

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Babatuyi added that most cases of fake news often originate from politically motivated social media actors rather than professional journalists, and urged reporters to remain committed to accuracy, fairness, and verification in their work, in order to maintain the integrity of the electoral process.