Democracy's Ongoing Struggle Against Misinformation and Electoral Malpractice

Table of Contents

1. Challenges Facing Democracy
2. Proactive Approach to Securing Democracy
3. Importance of Credible Elections
4. Accountable Governance
5. Integration of Technology in Elections
6. Collaboration with Agencies
7. Role of Civil Society

The National Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has emphasized that democracy is continually challenged by the detrimental effects of misinformation, electoral malpractices such as rigging and vote-buying, as well as violence.

Amupitan stated that securing the nation's democracy necessitates a proactive, multi-sectoral approach.

The INEC chairman spoke at the Nigeria Civil Society Situation Room's stakeholders' forum on elections held in Abuja on Thursday.

This year's theme is “Securing Nigeria’s Democracy: Building Consensus for Credible Elections and Accountable Governance,” which Amupitan described as a significant articulation of the shared mission.

“Our democracy is constantly challenged by the harmful effects of misinformation, electoral malpractice such as rigging and vote-buying, and violence. Therefore, securing our democracy requires a proactive, multi-sectoral approach,” he remarked.

“Secondly, the notion of building consensus for credible elections is crucial because credible elections form the undeniable, non-negotiable foundation of democracy.

“Nevertheless, credibility is a public trust that can only be established when all stakeholders—including political parties, the media, security agencies, civil society, and INEC—agree on and adhere to the electoral rules and principles.

“Accountable governance, which is the third component of today’s theme, pertains to the quality of governance that credible elections produce. If the electoral process is fair, the government is legitimate, and legitimacy is the cornerstone of political accountability.

“When citizens believe their votes matter, they empower themselves to hold their leaders to the highest standards.”

Amupitan highlighted some of INEC's strategic responses, including the systematic integration of technology, supported by the Electoral Act 2022, into the electoral system.

He added, “The deployment of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) has fundamentally transformed the process. It ensures that only genuinely accredited voters can cast their ballots, effectively eliminating over-voting and manual manipulation.

He also noted that the “INEC Result Viewing (IReV) Portal has made the electoral process transparent, allowing results to be available for public scrutiny on election day. This transparency sets a new standard for trust in our process.

However, he cautioned that technology alone is not a cure-all, as the nation’s telecommunications infrastructure remains a significant challenge.

“To safeguard democracy, technological integrity must be complemented by political accountability. We acknowledge that vote-buying and financial inducements undermine the will of the people. To address this, we have strengthened our collaboration with law enforcement agencies through the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES),” he stated.

“The strategic deployment of security personnel and covert intelligence operations at election centers is intended to protect voters from intimidation and resist inducements. This is a collective battle that requires a unified effort.

“Civil Society Organizations must actively participate in holding all stakeholders, including political parties, accountable. The Situation Room, as the leading civil society network, is crucial in advancing this consensus by monitoring compliance, promoting civic education, and ensuring that the Commission and all actors adhere to the highest standards of the law and procedure.”

Eze Chidiebere Paul

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