By Chris Ochayi

ABUJA—International Republican Institute, IRI, and National Democratic Institute, NDI, have warned that disinformation and hate speech through the use of social media might lead to political violence during the 2019 general elections, if unchecked.

The groups stated this when they unveiled reports of their findings after meeting with Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC; political parties, civil society organisations and other stakeholders in Abuja to assess election preparations and explore ways of fostering peaceful and credible polls in the country.

According to Dr Christopher Fomunyoh, NDI Regional Director for Central and West Africa, fake news and denigration of opponents can heighten tensions and increase the potential for election related violence.

He said:  “As the internet penetration deepens across the country, millions of Nigerians now access and share information via smartphones, social media platforms such as Facebook and Twitter, and messaging platforms such as WhatsApp.

“The 2017 Afrobarometer poll for Nigeria stated that 39 percent of responders regularly consume news on social media. These platforms offer new ways for citizens to engage in political and electoral processes, and for political parties, INEC, and government institutions to share information with voters.

“However, some Nigerians are fearful that, if not used properly these platforms could become vehicles for disinformation and hate speech. Disinformation (sometimes called “fake news”) is the deliberate generation and dissemination of false information to manipulate public opinion and perceptions.

“Nigerians told the delegation that social media is already rife with politically-related content that, in some cases, uses altered photos and videos. They also regret that the spread of rumors is facilitated by easy access to distorted news.

“Nigerians also told the delegation that disinformation, hate speech, and the denigration of opponents can heighten tensions and increase the potential for election related violence.”

On insecurity, the NDI director warned that the high level of security threats, especially in the North East and Middle Belt, could pose specific challenges for the conduct of elections in the impacted areas.

He, however, tasked the Federal Government to challenge all security services to be professional and impartial in guaranteeing election security for all citizens and political contestants.

Speaking on what he described, ‘significant security concerns, Fomunyoh noted:  “Nigeria faces security challenges from a number of non-state actors that if unchecked, could disrupt the electoral process. Boko Haram continues to carry out terrorist attack on communities in the North East.’’

During the visit, the delegation heard reports of the attack by the extremists group on a military base in Yobe as well as the death toll from clashes between pastoralist and farming communities in the Middle Belt which had risen since 2017.

“The conflicts are further exacerbated by illicit trade in weapons and stolen cattle by criminal gangs. In some circles, the inability of security forces to quell this inter-communal violence is given political and religious overtones.

“If not addressed, these security threats could erode confidence in government. Persistent insecurity and violence have led to very high number of internally displaced persons in the North East and Middle Belt that could pose specific challenges for the conduct of elections in the impacted areas,’’ he said.