The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged journalists to familiarise themselves with the various stages of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections to ensure accurate, responsible and credible reporting.
The Kaduna State Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC), Prof. Saidu Ahmed, made the call at a retreat organised by the Kano State Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigerian Union of Journalists (NUJ).
Represented by an INEC supervisor, Ahmed Musa, the REC spoke on election reporting, the legal framework governing the polls, security considerations and ethical boundaries for journalists.
Ahmed urged media practitioners to understand the provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 and the processes covering political party primaries, nomination of candidates, publication of candidates’ lists, campaigns, pre-election litigation, election-day activities and post-election petitions.
He said journalists played a critical role in shaping public perception, stressing that responsible reporting could contribute to national development and cohesion, while misinformation and irresponsible journalism could have the opposite effect.
“You can make or break even a nation. So it is always on you to try to make a nation, not to break a nation,” he said.
The REC also urged journalists to situate their reports within the new electoral legal framework and understand the rights and limitations attached to media accreditation.
According to him, the Electoral Act 2026, signed into law by President Bola Ahmed Tinubu on February 18, 2026, introduced significant changes that would affect the conduct and reporting of the 2027 elections.
Ahmed said Section 47 of the Act made the use of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) a legal requirement, while electronic transmission of polling-unit results was also made mandatory.
He added that Section 60(6) prescribed penalties for presiding officers who deliberately obstruct electronic transmission of results, while Section 62(9) provided severe punishment for returning and collation officers who intentionally collated or announced false results.
The REC further disclosed that the new law had abolished indirect voting in political party primaries, requiring political parties to adopt either direct primaries or consensus.
He said courts could no longer stop a primary election or electoral process through injunctions, with electoral disputes to be addressed after the relevant process.
Ahmed advised journalists to rely on INEC’s official communication channels when reporting election-related developments and avoid publishing unverified information.
He explained that at the national level, official communication comes through the INEC Chairman and the National Commissioner responsible for voter education and publicity, while at the state level, the
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