The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called for comprehensive constitutional and electoral reforms to strengthen Nigeria's democracy. The reforms include changes to the process of appointing the Chairman, National Commissioners, and Resident Electoral Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC). This call was made during the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2026) held in Enugu from September 24 to 26, 2026.
The conference, themed "The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive," was attended by over 500 editors, publishers, and senior media practitioners. The Obi of Onitsha, His Royal Majesty Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, chaired the conference, while the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, His Eminence John Cardinal Onaiyekan, delivered the keynote address. Vice President Senator Kashim Shettima participated virtually as Special Guest of Honour.
The NGE observed that the ballot is the principal instrument through which citizens exercise their sovereign will, but its value depends on credible information and public confidence in the electoral process. The Guild identified voter apathy as a product of several factors, including poor governance, electoral violence, and intimidation. It also noted concerns over the relationship between electoral outcomes and subsequent judicial decisions.
The editors expressed concern that judicial interventions in some electoral disputes have created perceptions that court decisions can displace outcomes recorded at the ballot box. They called for electoral adjudication that is timely, transparent, predictable, and impartial, with genuine electoral irregularities addressed. The Guild also stressed the need to respect judicial independence.
The NGE recommended consideration of a 50 per cent threshold for presidential elections and provision for a run-off where the candidate with the highest number of votes fails to secure up to 50 per cent of the votes cast. The Guild also called for a review of the limitations placed on ordinary voters seeking to challenge electoral results and advocated for a constitutional framework that would permit independent candidacy.
The conference identified emerging threats to the integrity of electoral information, including generative artificial intelligence, deepfakes, voice cloning, and automated networks. The editors urged newsrooms to institutionalise fact-checking and verification systems and integrate digital verification tools into their editorial workflows. The Guild reaffirmed the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage (Revised 2022) and urged all news organisations to adopt the Code.
The NGE reaffirmed the responsibility of the media to provide accurate, verified, and independent information and to scrutinise governments, political parties, and other centres of power. The Guild called for evidence-based journalism that neither exaggerates failures nor suppresses verified achievements and developments. It also clarified that editorial neutrality meant impartiality among legitimate political contenders and did not require journalists to remain silent in the face of verified wrongdoing.
Key points
- The Nigerian Guild of Editors calls for comprehensive constitutional and electoral reforms to strengthen Nigeria's democracy.
- The Guild recommends a 50 per cent threshold for presidential elections and timely resolution of electoral disputes.
- The NGE urges newsrooms to institutionalise fact-checking and verification systems to combat emerging threats to electoral information integrity.
