By Celestine Okafor (Editor-in-chief)
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has described the slogan "Rig and Die" as dangerous, warning that it puts the lives of electoral officials, voters, party agents and observers at risk ahead of the 2027 General Election.
National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said this on Monday 7th November, 2026, in Enugu at the Commission's forum for members of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), the Nigerian Institute of Social Media Analysts (NISMA), the Newspaper Proprietors Association of Nigeria (NPAN) and media executives. He was represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner (REC) for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka J. Chukwu.
Speaking on the theme "Ethical and Professional Standards in Election Reporting Ahead of the 2027 General Election," Commissioner Haruna said that whatever the intention of its originators, and some insist it targets only those who rig, "a slogan that links an electoral offence to death is dangerous."
He noted that the people most exposed at the polling unit are not powerful politicians but ordinary Nigerians serving as presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, collation officers and other ad hoc staff.
"A charged crowd can easily mistake a delayed result, a technical challenge or a rumor for rigging, and a mistake of that kind can never be undone," he said.
The National Commissioner stressed that rigging is a crime for which the Electoral Act 2026 prescribes penalties, and that the remedy lies in the law, through vigilant observation, transparent results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), formal complaints to the Commission and security agencies, and, where necessary, the courts.
He also reminded Nigerians that "the right to life is guaranteed by Section 33 of the Constitution, and no one may take it on suspicion."
"I therefore appeal to political leaders to retire such language, and to you in the media not to amplify it as a headline or hashtag," he said.
The National Commissioner urged journalists to report the phrase responsibly, "with its context, the legal position and the safety of electoral officials in view."
He said the media's role in the electoral process is central, noting that most Nigerians will never see a polling unit being set up, a BVAS device at work or a result sheet being signed. "Public confidence in our elections rests on the credibility of your reporting," he said.
He urged journalists to verify information before publication, however tempting it is to be first, and to label projections and unofficial tallies for what they are, since results are declared only by the Commission through its Returning Officers. He also called for conflict-sensitive election-day reporting, fair space for all candidates and parties, and prompt correction of errors.
Citing recent off-cycle elections, he said vote buying was the most troubling feature of the Ekiti poll in June, while in Osun in August, false claims of ghost and hired voters and AI-generated content circulated on social media during collation. Yet independent observers, found the declared results consistent with polling unit tallies. "Where accurate information travels as fast as falsehood, public trust is protected," he said.
He called on the media to support the Commission in sustaining voter education, especially on Permanent Voter Card (PVC) collection and turnout, noting that only 26.72 per cent of registered voters voted in the 2023 presidential election. He also urged them to investigate and expose vote buying and help debunk disinformation, including deepfakes and fake accounts, which are offences under the Cybercrimes Act.
Commissioner Haruna said the Commission remains open to the media and urged journalists to verify claims about INEC through its official channels, including the Citizens Contact Centre on 0700-CALL-INEC (0700-2255-4632), short code 4632, and its verified handles @inecnigeria. "We would rather you ask us now than speculate later," he said.
He reaffirmed that any staff or ad hoc official who compromises an election will face the full weight of the law. He added that the Commission is working to have officials and materials at polling units by about 7:30 a.m. on election day, "because delays breed suspicion."
He called for more inclusive coverage of women, young people and persons with disabilities, whose experiences deserve a place in election reporting beyond statistics.
Earlier, the REC, Dr. Chukwu, urged media practitioners to uphold professionalism, accuracy, fairness and objectivity. He warned that "a single unverified report can create unnecessary tension, undermine public confidence, discourage voter participation and potentially threaten peaceful coexistence."
The Chairman of the NUJ, Enugu State Council, Comr. Obinna Ogbuka, commended the Commission for choosing Enugu as host and called for sustained training of journalists, saying "as media, we need to support INEC in pushing out the right narratives."
The Director, Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, represented by Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, Deputy Director, Information and Publicity, said the forum aims to strengthen collaboration between INEC and the media, with sessions on ethical reporting, the Electoral Act 2026, INEC's technological innovations and voting procedures. Participants were urged to await the formal declaration of results by Returning Officers and to strengthen their election desks and fact-checking arrangements ahead of the election. NNL.
