The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called for far-reaching constitutional and electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections. The reforms include a review of the process for appointing the leadership of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) and changes to the handling of election disputes. The NGE also wants limitations preventing ordinary voters from challenging election results reviewed and provision made for independent candidacy. These formed part of the resolutions of the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2026), held in Enugu from September 24 to 26.
The conference, attended by over 300 editors, publishers, senior journalists, and other stakeholders, sought sustained constitutional and electoral reforms to address structural concerns in the electoral system. The editors called for a review of the process for appointing the INEC Chairman, National Commissioners, and Resident Electoral Commissioners, as well as State Electoral Commissioners. They also raised concerns over the excessive or intimidating deployment of security personnel during elections.
The conference identified the absence of a constitutional framework for independent candidacy and limitations on the ability of ordinary voters to challenge electoral results among areas requiring reform. The editors called for election disputes to be resolved within appropriate timelines before the swearing-in of declared winners. The resolutions represent the collective position of the conference after presentations and deliberations on the electoral system, the judiciary, election security, artificial intelligence, and the responsibilities of the media.
The conference noted that while the ballot remained the principal instrument through which citizens exercised their sovereign will, its value depended on credible information, public confidence in the electoral process, and assurance that votes would be properly counted and respected. It identified poor governance, electoral violence and intimidation, administrative shortcomings, and declining public confidence among factors fuelling voter apathy.
The editors also noted public concerns over the relationship between electoral outcomes and subsequent judicial decisions, calling for electoral adjudication that is timely, transparent, predictable, and impartial. They warned that synthetic content, such as deepfakes and voice cloning, could now be rapidly generated and distributed, posing a threat to the integrity of information surrounding elections.
The conference urged newsrooms to institutionalise fact-checking and verification systems and integrate digital-verification, deepfake-detection, and forensic tools into their editorial processes. It also urged INEC to develop and implement an Artificial Intelligence Governance Framework, ensuring that automated processes used in elections remained subject to human oversight, transparency, accountability, and legal verification.
The NGE reaffirmed the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage, Revised 2022, and urged newsrooms to train their journalists on its provisions before the elections. The conference also restated the responsibility of the media to scrutinise government, political parties, and other centres of power while reporting verified achievements and developments fairly.
Key points
- The Nigerian Guild of Editors is pushing for reforms in INEC appointments and election disputes ahead of the 2027 general elections.
- The conference identified the absence of a constitutional framework for independent candidacy and limitations on the ability of ordinary voters to challenge electoral results among areas requiring reform.
- The editors urged newsrooms to institutionalise fact-checking and verification systems to combat synthetic content and misinformation.
