INEC Trains State Communication Chiefs To Combat Misinformation Ahead 2027

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has commenced a two-day strategic communication workshop for its state-level voter education and publicity officers as part of preparations for the 2027 General Election.

The workshop, which began in Abuja on Wednesday, is focused on strengthening the capacity of communication officers to tackle misinformation and disinformation while improving voter confidence in the electoral process.

Declaring the workshop open, National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said effective communication would be critical as the Commission prepares for the 2027 elections.

Haruna said INEC was facing several operational challenges, including funding constraints under the envelope budgeting system, a growing electorate and an expanding range of statutory responsibilities.

He said the recently suspended Nationwide Continuous Voter Registration exercise was expected to result in a consolidated voter register of more than 100 million voters, highlighting the scale of the Commission’s responsibilities.

The National Commissioner said the workshop was designed to address identified capacity gaps among Heads of Department, Voter Education and Publicity, across the country.

He said the training would provide participants with practical tools to engage voters credibly and develop effective communication strategies ahead of the elections.

According to Haruna, the training is particularly important as political parties begin campaigns ahead of the January 16, 2027 Presidential and National Assembly elections, followed three weeks later by the Governorship and State Assembly polls.

On voter apathy, Haruna cautioned against placing the responsibility for low turnout solely on INEC, describing voter participation as a broader democratic challenge.

He said political parties also had an important role in mobilising their supporters, while weaknesses in internal party democracy, particularly candidate selection processes, could contribute to voter disengagement.

Haruna also pointed to recent off-cycle governorship elections, which he said had become progressively more credible and received commendation from observers, civil society organisations and the media.

In her remarks, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, said the workshop was designed to address a longstanding shortage of professional communication training among state-level VEP officers.

She said recent redeployments had further compounded the challenge, with some officers without formal communication backgrounds now responsible for media relations and public communication in politically sensitive environments.

Eta-Messi said participants would be trained to manage misinformation campaigns, coordinate voter education programmes and communicate election information and results clearly and accurately.

The workshop covers strategic voter education, legal literacy, INEC’s internal and external communication policy, deliberate misinformation in the electoral process and the appropriate procedures for releasing official information.

The Commission said the training was part of its broader efforts to ensure that election-related communication remains visible, accessible, accurate and accountable to Nigerians and other stakeholders.