Posted by Social media has been identified by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) as one of the main threats to the general election of 2023.
Mahmoud Yakubu, the chairman of INEC, made this announcement in Washington, DC, at a meeting of the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and the National Endowment for Democracy (NED) (IFES)
Yakubu reaffirmed his commitment to continuing to strengthen his relationships and work with organized social media platforms after pointing out that the release of phony election results has the potential to incite violence.
Mahmoud highlighted the persistent problem of insecurity in various parts of the country, social media fake news, and thuggery supported by some political actor among his top concerns over the upcoming elections.
“I say it’s a recurring problem because, at its core, it’s nothing new. However, the insecurity aspect is problematic in that it was previously contained or limited to the northeast region of the nation. But now that it has expanded further, we are keeping a close check on it, especially in the northwest and southeast regions of the nation.
“Elections are managed by people. We are concerned about the safety of our elected officials, voters, and the supplies that will be used. We cannot conduct elections without them. The security authorities have promised us that things will become better before the elections in our conversations with them. So, cross your fingers. Those who are in charge of maintaining security have promised to do so in order for us to hold elections. Elections must be held, and that is our obligation.