Politics
THE Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), FCT Council, Ms Grace Ike, has called on electoral bodies, the media and citizens to safeguard the integrity of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Ike made the call at the 2026 Democracy Roundtable, themed “Making Nigerians’ Votes Count in 2027: The Role of INEC”, held at the News Agency of Nigeria (NAN) headquarters on Wednesday in Abuja.
She said young Nigerians were continuously committed to the democratic process and determined to ensure that every vote counts.
“Your vote is your vote. This time around your vote will count and must count. So let’s register early while registration is ongoing, and then learn how to vote,” she said.
Ike stressed the need for stronger partnerships, technological credibility and wider access to electoral information, especially for marginalised groups and grassroots communities.
She also urged journalists to uphold ethical standards and hold institutions accountable to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process.
“This time around we want to be active and not passive. We will support voter education through our platforms and community networks, collaborate on media briefings and organise training for journalists covering elections.
“Our duty must be ethical. We must verify information before broadcasting, avoid amplifying rumours, put developments in context and hold institutions accountable without compromising professional ethics,” she said.
Also speaking, the Senior Programme Officer at the Centre for Democracy and Development (CDD), Dr Austin Aigbe, warned against electoral disinformation and voter suppression, saying massive voter turnout remained the strongest safeguard against manipulation.
“The easiest way to manipulate an election is at the polling unit. Let’s get voters to the polling units in large numbers. It will be extremely difficult for anyone to undermine the process,” he said.
Aigbe also urged the media and political party agents to monitor election results closely and use independent situation rooms to detect any attempt to alter results during transmission.
“Once the result is declared and announced, we need an electronic copy of the result sheet.
“The media have access to that result sheet. Party agents have access to that result sheet. Get it,” he said.
Representing the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Assistant Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Magdalene Aku, said ensuring that every vote counts remained central to Nigeria’s democracy.
She said the commission continued to strengthen its processes, policies and technology to improve transparency and public confidence.
“It is the foundation of our democracy. We always strive to put in place the right processes and the right tools to ensure that every individual’s voice counts,” she said.
Aku said the commission had deployed technologies such as real-time result transmission and electronic result entry by collation officers to enhance transparency and promote inclusion, especially for persons with disabilities and other vulnerable groups.
“That is why we have deployed technology, including real-time transmission of results, so people can see the results as they come. Because if your vote doesn’t matter, why would anyone try to manipulate it?” she said. (NAN)
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Tags: Elections NUJ