False claims pose risk to calm before 2027 polls – Citizens' Concerns Committee

As Nigeria gears up for the 2027 general elections, the Centre for Crisis Communication has sounded the alarm over the escalating threat posed by misinformation, political tension, and insecurity in the country's information landscape, which could significantly destabilize the nation.

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These concerns were raised by Maj-Gen Chris Olukolade, the Chairman of the Centre and former Defence Spokesman, during a media briefing in Abuja, where he presented the organisation's latest media-analysis report.

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The report, which was compiled using PRrev, an AI-driven media monitoring and social-listening tool developed by Image Merchants Promotion Limited, reveals a disturbing surge in insecurity-related narratives, political tension, and the rapid dissemination of false information across digital platforms.

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The study, which tracked conversations on X, Facebook, WhatsApp groups, online news platforms, and diaspora-based forums, found that many Nigerians are increasingly expressing fear over insecurity, frustration with leadership, and mixed levels of support for government actions, with both factual reports and deliberate misinformation amplifying these sentiments.

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The analysis highlighted several troubling trends, including the rapid spread of fake news, the growing sophistication of forged documents, and the rise of politically motivated disinformation ahead of the 2027 elections.

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Gen. Olukolade noted that private messaging platforms, such as WhatsApp, have become major conduits for misinformation, making detection and response more challenging, while delayed or unclear official statements often allow rumours and speculations to dominate public discourse.

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According to Gen. Olukolade, if this trend is left unaddressed, it could weaken public trust and threaten national stability, emphasizing the need for prompt action to mitigate these risks.

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The Centre for Crisis Communication has recommended a range of measures to tackle these challenges, including timely and coordinated communication during crises, stronger fact-checking mechanisms, improved collaboration among government and non-government actors, and increased public awareness to help citizens identify and resist misinformation.

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In line with these recommendations, the CCC plans to establish a Crisis Communication Hub, an independent multi-stakeholder platform to manage information during emergencies, which will focus on detecting and countering fake news in real time.

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The hub will support communication efforts at federal, state, and local levels to strengthen public trust in official responses, and will collaborate with a range of partners, including government agencies, media organisations, civil society, and technology partners.

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Some of the key partners that will collaborate with the CCHub include the Nigerian Union of Journalists, Nigerian Guild of Editors, Guild of Corporate Online Publishers, National Information Technology Development Agency, Federal Ministry of Information and National Orientation, Nigeria Police Force, Defence Headquarters, Department of State Services, Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, and National Emergency Management Agency.

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Gen. Olukolade stressed that with political activities intensifying ahead of the 2027 elections, Nigeria must strengthen its crisis-communication systems to protect public trust and maintain national stability.