Civil society groups, election officials, security agencies, and academics have raised the alarm over the dangers that misinformation and hate speech on social media pose to the August 15 Osun state governorship election, calling on citizens and political actors to act responsibly in the digital space.
Policy Dialogue Addresses Electoral Threats
The warning came on Thursday, July 24, at a one-day Policy Dialogue on Electoral Offences, Peaceful Elections, Responsible Use of Social Media and Consequence Management, held in Osogbo. The Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa (PAACA) organised the event in partnership with the Digital Africa Research and Safety Lab (DigiAfricaLab). Attendees included representatives from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), the Nigeria Police Force, the National Orientation Agency (NOA), traditional and religious leaders, academics, and digital content creators.
Dangers of Selling PVCs and Electoral Offences
PAACA Executive Director Ezenwa Nwagwu warned that many Nigerians remain unaware that selling or buying Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) is a criminal offence. "A lot of people don't know that if you sell your PVC, you can go to jail," he said. He also stressed that electoral violence rarely begins with physical confrontation, arguing it is typically fuelled by inflammatory language online long before polling day. "Elections will come and go, but Osun will remain," he added.
Digital Threats Landscape
Rosemary Ajayi, Founder and Executive Director of DigiAfricaLab, said the threat landscape had grown to include fake accounts, impersonation, and coordinated online manipulation. "Digital threats are any behaviours, activities or content shared in digital spaces that can make people feel fear, anger or lose trust in the electoral system," she said.
INEC and NOA Urge Citizens to Verify Before Sharing
Osun State NOA Director Adebiyi Stephen Adefarasin urged residents, particularly young people and media practitioners, to embrace fact-checking and tolerance. "Peaceful elections are built on the foundation of informed, responsible and patriotic citizens," he said. INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner in Osun State, Mrs Oluwatoyin O. Babalola, reaffirmed the commission's commitment to a free and transparent election and cautioned the public against sharing unverified reports. "I urge all stakeholders to reject violence, misinformation, disinformation, vote buying, voter intimidation, and every other form of electoral malpractice," she said, adding that premature declarations of results on social media were among the behaviours capable of triggering unrest.
Keynote Address Highlights Threats to Electoral Credibility
Professor Adetunji Ogunyemi of Obafemi Awolowo University, Ile-Ife, who delivered the keynote address, said the growing tendency of individuals to announce results online before INEC's official declaration represents one of the most pressing threats to electoral credibility.
Communiqué Calls for Stronger Coordination
At the close of the dialogue, participants issued a communiqué calling for stronger coordination among INEC, security agencies, civil society, and the media to counter false narratives and ensure verified information reaches the public ahead of the poll.
