Civil society groups, INEC, and the National Orientation Agency have urged Osun residents to verify information online and avoid hate speech as the state prepares for its August 15 governorship election.
The warning came on Thursday at a one-day Policy Dialogue in Osogbo organized by the Peering Advocacy and Advancement Centre in Africa, PAACA, in partnership with the Digital Africa Research and Safety Lab, DigiAfricaLab.
Participants included representatives from INEC, the Nigeria Police Force, NOA, traditional and religious leaders, civil society organizations, academia, the media, and digital influencers. The meeting focused on electoral offences, peaceful elections, responsible social media use, and how to manage fallout from online abuse.
Osun State Director of NOA, Mr. Adebiyi Stephen Adefarasin, said social media can help civic engagement but becomes dangerous when used to spread falsehoods. He called on young people, journalists, political actors and content creators to embrace fact-checking, tolerance and respect for different opinions.
“As we prepare for the Osun off-season election and the 2027 general elections, peaceful polls depend on informed and patriotic citizens,” Adefarasin said.
PAACA Executive Director, Mr. Ezenwa Nwagwu, said many Nigerians still do not understand electoral offences. He noted that buying or selling PVCs is a criminal offence that can lead to jail time. Nwagwu added that violent elections often start with inflammatory speech and misinformation, and urged restraint from politicians and voters.
DigiAfricaLab founder, Rosemary Ajayi, warned that digital threats have gone beyond fake news to include impersonation, cloned accounts and coordinated online manipulation aimed at eroding trust in the electoral process.
In the keynote, Prof. Adetunji Ogunyemi of Obafemi Awolowo University said credible elections require commitment from INEC, security agencies, political parties, the media, civil society and citizens. He advised politicians to accept results and seek redress through legal means instead of trying to delegitimize the process.
Osun REC, Mrs. Oluwatoyin Babalola, reassured stakeholders that INEC is committed to a free, fair and transparent poll. She urged residents to get election updates only from official channels and avoid sharing unverified reports that could create tension.
In a communiqué issued at the end, participants agreed to reject electoral violence, vote-buying, voter intimidation, hate speech and misinformation before, during and after the election. They also resolved to promote public vigilance and verify content before sharing online.
The Osun governorship election is scheduled for August 15, 2026.
