Mahmood Yakubu, chairman of the Independent National
Electoral Commission (INEC), has called on online publishers to join the fight
against the spread of fake news in the country.
Yakubu spoke at the 6th annual conference of the Guild of
Corporate Online Publishers (GOCOP) in Lagos on Thursday.
The INEC chairman said the fight against fake news has
become imperative as the 2023 general election closes in.
Yakubu, who spoke on the topic “2023 Elections: Managing the
process for credible outcome”, said the election is a multi-stakeholder
activity.
“Fake news is a
threat to national security and all hands must be on deck to check it. Managing
this process requires in part, concerted efforts,” he said.
“We have noticed that your members have so far steered clear
of fake news. We urge you to do more.
“GOCOP should come out strongly in the battle against fake
news which is clearly a challenge to the electoral process going forward.
“We are happy to note
that you have your peer review mechanism using your leaders to regularly remind
every member of the need for credible journalism.
“This is highly commendable. We urge you to extend this
beyond GOCOP to serve as a bulwark against the menace of fake news.”
The INEC chair commended GOCOP’s effort to ensure a credible
election in 2023 and enjoined other stakeholders to support the commission.
“As the commission is doing its best to ensure a credible
process, we also appeal to the media for continuous partnership,” he added.
“Managing the
electoral process for a credible outcome is the responsibility of all of us.
“As campaign activities get underway, the media will
continue to play an important role. A lot of the activities will take place in
the media of which the new media is a critical player.
“We must continue to work together against the spread of
fake news, misinformation and disinformation that seek to create or exacerbate
tension or de-legitimise processes and outcomes.”
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