Online media publishers and editors have been urged to prioritise fact-checking, citizens’ concerns and accountability reporting ahead of the 2027 general elections to strengthen democratic participation and ensure that political office seekers are held accountable for their promises.
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The call was made during a two-day media interface organised by the International Press Centre (IPC) for journalists in Ibadan, Oyo State, as part of efforts to promote professional and democratic accountability journalism ahead of the elections.
The first day of the engagement, held on Monday, October 12, was for broadcast and print journalists, while the second day, held on Tuesday, October 13, brought together online publishers and editors at Golden Tulip Hotel, Jericho, Ibadan.
The Executive Director of IPC, Mr Lanre Arogundade, represented by the programme officer, Melody Akinjiyan, urged journalists to move beyond event-driven coverage of political rallies, campaigns and defections to focus on issues affecting citizens.
He said reporting ahead of the elections should reflect public concerns around the economy, education, healthcare, security, employment and infrastructure, while ensuring accuracy, fairness, fact-checking and conflict-sensitive coverage.
Arogundade also stressed the need for journalists to give adequate attention to women, youths, persons with disabilities and other underrepresented groups, warning that misinformation and manipulated content could undermine public confidence in the democratic process.
Similarly, the Chairman of the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), Oyo State Council, Comrade Akeem Abas, represented by the council’s Vice-Chairman, Comrade Atilola, urged journalists to scrutinise political manifestoes, verify campaign claims and track promises against the performance of elected officials.
He called for greater adherence to professional ethics, accuracy over speed and substance over sensationalism, while also highlighting the need for capacity building, digital journalism skills, responsible use of artificial intelligence and improved journalists’ welfare.
Abas also announced plans to honour Arogundade at the grand finale of the NUJ Oyo State Council’s 60th anniversary celebration scheduled for November 7, 2026, in Ibadan, in recognition of his contributions to press freedom and professional journalism.
In his presentation, titled “2027 General Election in the Context of Democratic and Accountability Reporting: Scanning the Electoral Environment and Reporting Citizens’ Priority Concerns,” the General Editor of Tribune Newspapers, Dr Taiwo Adisa, identified education, agriculture, rural roads and security as key issues journalists should examine in Oyo State.
Adisa cited the cancellation of the N3,000 education levy introduced under the administration of former Governor Abiola Ajimobi by Governor Seyi Makinde after his election in 2019 as an example of a policy that helped shape public support.
He urged journalists to examine government interventions in agriculture, including access to improved seedlings and other inputs, as well as the state of rural roads, to determine how far public officials had delivered on their promises.
On security, he highlighted concerns around kidnapping, banditry and farmer-herder conflicts. He also recalled an incident involving the abduction of teachers and schoolchildren after bandits reportedly infiltrated the Old Oyo National Park from Kwara State, with the victims held for 56 days before their return.
Adisa further identified local government autonomy as an important accountability issue, particularly in relation to the payment of salaries and pensions to primary school teachers, healthcare workers, local government staff and pensioners.
Describing Oyo as a politically active state with a crowded media environment, he urged journalists to provide issue-based coverage of the emerging political contest, assess campaign promises and monitor the performance of public office holders rather than focus solely on political activities.
Also speaking, Olusola Oludiran, a fact-checker with Nigeria Democratic Report (NDR), led a session on “Integrating Fact-Checking for Democratic and Accountability Reporting.”
Oludiran explained that democratic reporting provides citizens with accurate and diverse information to understand public affairs and participate in democratic processes, while accountability reporting examines the decisions, promises and performance of individuals and institutions exercising public power.
He said fact-checking was essential to correcting misconceptions, countering misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, and improving media literacy and public trust. He urged newsrooms to integrate verification into their editorial processes, particularly as journalists increasingly work with digital images, videos and other online content.
As part of the engagement, participating journalists were divided into breakout groups to identify citizens’ priority concerns and discuss recommendations for strengthening democratic and accountability reporting ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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