…As INEC warns against electoral violence, fake news

By Jeff Agbodo, Abakaliki

Journalists and civil society organisations (CSOs) in Ebonyi State have urged voters to scrutinise the competence, capacity, policy proposals and track records of candidates ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They advised the electorate to look beyond political manifestos, campaign slogans and personalities and critically assess candidates’ credibility and ability to deliver on their promises.

The stakeholders made the call at a democratic dialogue organised by the Centre for Media and Dialogue Initiative (CMDI), in collaboration with the Correspondents’ Chapel of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Ebonyi State Council.

The dialogue was themed, “Beyond the Manifesto: Ebonyi 2027 Election and the People’s Interrogation of Next Leadership.”

The Programme Director of CMDI, Eze Chikodiri Igwe, said the initiative was designed to provide a credible, respectful and non-partisan platform for candidates to explain their programmes, while citizens, journalists and other stakeholders scrutinised their policy choices and capacity to deliver.

Igwe said democracy required more than campaign promises, stressing that voters must demand clear explanations of how proposed policies would be implemented, the resources required and the mechanisms for measuring performance and holding elected officials accountable.

“A manifesto tells us what a candidate promises. Democracy, however, requires us to go further and ask: What is the problem? What is the proposed solution? How will it be delivered? What resources will it require?

“What priorities will guide the choices? How will citizens measure performance? And what mechanisms will make leadership accountable to the people?” he asked.

He explained that the initiative was not intended to endorse any candidate or political party but to shift electoral discourse “from political promises to public policy; from slogans to substance; from personalities to capacity; and from campaign rhetoric to measurable commitments.”

Igwe said voters had the right to ask questions, candidates had the responsibility to provide answers, while the media had a duty to scrutinise claims and provide credible information to enable citizens to make informed choices.

“Ultimately, the objective of this programme is to help create a better-informed electorate and a more substantive electoral conversation ahead of the 2027 elections.

“We are not here to tell Ebonyi what choice to make. We are here to strengthen the quality of the questions that must precede that choice,” he said.

He maintained that elections were not merely about choosing who would occupy public offices but deciding who would be entrusted with the people’s hopes, resources, security and future.

The Chairman of the NUJ Correspondents’ Chapel in Ebonyi State, Comrade Uchenna Inya, said journalists had a responsibility to shape public discourse and ensure that voters were adequately informed about candidates and their programmes.

Inya said the media must question candidates on what they intended to offer the people, how they planned to implement their policies and the measures they would adopt to address critical sectors, including agriculture, healthcare, security and the economy.

He stressed that journalists were not partisan actors in the electoral process but professional stakeholders responsible for accurate reporting and enabling citizens to make informed choices.

“Our duty is to keep the public informed, educated and focused on a people-centred agenda,” Inya said.

He added that the media would continue to report electoral issues based on facts while advocating a peaceful, free and credible electoral process.

Inya also urged political actors and their supporters to shun violence and allow voters to exercise their democratic rights freely.

The representative of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) at the event, Mrs Esther Idam, described citizens as critical stakeholders in the electoral process and urged registered voters to collect their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) ahead of the elections.

Idam cautioned voters and political actors against misinformation and fake news, urging citizens to verify information before sharing it on social media.

She warned youths against allowing themselves to be used to perpetrate electoral violence, stressing that a peaceful environment was essential for credible participation.

According to her, voters should familiarise themselves with their designated polling units and comply with electoral guidelines rather than resort to confrontation when difficulties arise.

She also emphasised the need for political parties, candidates, agents and voters to understand the rules governing accreditation, voting and collation.

Idam reiterated INEC’s commitment to an inclusive electoral process, noting that women, youths and persons living with disabilities were important participants in democracy.

She assured participants that the commission would provide a level playing field for all candidates in the general elections.

The dialogue attracted candidates and representatives of various political parties, including the Labour Party, African Democratic Congress (ADC), Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), Action Alliance (AA) and other parties, who participated in discussions on leadership and voters’ expectations ahead of the 2027 elections.

However, the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) and its candidates did not participate in the dialogue.

The PDP State Chairman, Chief Chukwuma Igwe, represented by the party’s Publicity Secretary, Comrade Darlington Onwe, challenged the APC to explain its absence from the event and other activities aimed at promoting a peaceful and credible electoral process.

Onwe said the APC had been duly notified of the dialogue and that Governor Francis Nwifuru had been personally invited.

He argued that the governor could have sent a representative if he was unavailable, noting that the PDP governorship candidate, Chief Ifeanyi Chukwuma Odii, had sent a representative despite being outside the country.

Onwe also explained that the PDP state chairman was unavoidably absent because of flight-related issues, prompting him to send a representative.

“APC deliberately avoided this dialogue and they were duly notified. The governor was personally invited and if he was too busy, he was supposed to send a representative,” Onwe said.

He further alleged that the APC had repeatedly avoided calls for a debate because it had little to show for its performance.

The dialogue also provided participants with opportunities to ask questions and seek clarification from party representatives, electoral officials and other stakeholders on voter participation, electoral procedures, accountability and the delivery of campaign promises.