The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has advocated for significant electoral reforms in the country. At the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2026) held in Enugu from September 24 to 26, the Guild called for a constitutional provision that requires presidential candidates to secure at least 50% of votes cast to win elections. This move aims to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process. The conference, themed "The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive," brought together over 500 editors, publishers, and senior media practitioners.
The NGE also emphasized the need for the timely resolution of electoral disputes before the swearing-in of declared winners. The Guild believes that this will help to prevent judicial interventions in electoral disputes, which have created perceptions among some sections of the public that court decisions can displace outcomes recorded at the ballot box. To ensure the integrity of the electoral process, the Guild recommended a constitutional threshold of 50% for presidential elections, with a run-off where no candidate secures the required threshold.
The conference examined challenges confronting Nigeria's electoral democracy, including artificial intelligence, misinformation, disinformation, electoral insecurity, and declining public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections. The Guild identified voter apathy as a consequence of poor governance, electoral violence and intimidation, administrative shortcomings, and declining confidence in the electoral process. The editors expressed concern over the relationship between electoral outcomes and subsequent judicial decisions.
The NGE also addressed the growing threat posed by artificial intelligence to elections. The Guild identified generative AI, deepfakes, voice cloning, and automated networks as major threats to the integrity of electoral information. It warned that fabricated election results, cloned voices of public officials, forged documents, manipulated result sheets, and fake reports could be produced and distributed rapidly using emerging technologies.
To mitigate these threats, the Guild urged newsrooms to institutionalize fact-checking and verification systems and integrate digital verification, deepfake detection, and forensic tools into their editorial workflows. The NGE also urged media organizations to adopt the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage (Revised 2022) and train journalists and editorial staff on its provisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
The Guild reaffirmed the responsibility of the media to provide accurate, verified, and independent information while scrutinizing governments, political parties, and other centers of power. The NGE called on governments and political actors to guarantee equitable access to media space for government and opposition voices while respecting editorial independence. Additionally, the Guild declared that election security must include the safety of journalists covering elections.
The conference was chaired by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, while Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, delivered the keynote address. The resolutions from the conference were contained in a communiqué issued at the end and signed by the NGE President, Eze Anaba, and General Secretary, Onuoha Ukeh. The Guild's recommendations aim to promote a more transparent and credible electoral process in Nigeria.
Key points
- The Nigerian Guild of Editors calls for a constitutional provision requiring presidential candidates to secure 50% of votes cast to win elections.
