INEC debunks fake list of governorship candidates in six states
The Independent National Electoral Commission has debunked a fake online list of governorship candidates for Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano. Read More:…
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Nigeria's statutory body responsible for organising and regulating elections, has in recent years had to repeatedly contend with the spread of misinformation bearing its name, particularly around sensitive electoral processes such as candidate screening, timetables and results. Fake notices attributed to the commission tend to circulate widely on social media before being officially addressed, often creating confusion among voters, party supporters and aspirants in the affected states.
This latest alert concerns a viral publication claiming to list governorship candidates for Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau and other states, which INEC says did not originate from the commission. Coverage across outlets is consistent in reporting the commission's denial and its description of the document as fake, with Channels TV noting that the warning followed INEC's recent release of its actual final list of candidates for the governorship elections. None of the reports have yet identified who created or circulated the fake list, nor have they detailed any sanctions INEC may pursue against those responsible for spreading it.