By Helen Okechukwu, JKNewsMedia Reporter
THE SUDDEN use of “Rig and Die” as an election slogan has drawn a stern warning from the Independent National Electoral Commission, who say its association of electoral malpractice with death could put the lives of voters, polling officials, party agents and observers in danger ahead of the 2027 General Election.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that the Commission warned that inflammatory expressions such as “Rig and Die” could expose electoral personnel and other innocent Nigerians to attacks, particularly when disagreements over results or technical difficulties escalate into public unrest.
National Commissioner and Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), Mohammed Kudu Haruna, raised the concern on 7 November 2026 during a media engagement in Enugu, where journalists, media executives and social media analysts examined professional standards for election reporting.
Represented by Enugu State Resident Electoral Commissioner, Dr Chukwuemeka J. Chukwu, Haruna said the slogan was dangerous regardless of claims that it was intended to threaten only those involved in electoral manipulation.
He warned that the people most exposed to election-day hostility were often ordinary Nigerians employed to administer the voting process, rather than influential political figures.
Presiding officers, assistant presiding officers, collation officers and other temporary electoral workers could become targets when crowds misinterpret delays, technical problems or unverified allegations as evidence of rigging.
Haruna urged political leaders to discourage such expressions and asked journalists to avoid turning them into sensational headlines or popular social media hashtags.
He maintained that suspected electoral malpractice must be addressed through established legal procedures, not threats against individuals.
The National Commissioner also pointed to the Electoral Act 2026, which prescribes penalties for rigging, and identified formal complaints, election observation, transparent result viewing through INEC’s IReV platform and judicial intervention as legitimate avenues for addressing alleged violations.
He also reminded Nigerians that Section 33 of the Constitution protects the right to life, stressing that suspicion of electoral wrongdoing cannot justify violence.
Haruna challenged journalists to exercise greater caution in their coverage, particularly as public understanding of election procedures and confidence in declared results depend heavily on information supplied by the media.
He called for thorough verification, balanced reporting, prompt corrections and clear distinctions between unofficial projections and results formally announced by Returning Officers.
The Commissioner cited the June governorship election in Ekiti, where vote buying emerged as a major concern, and the August Osun poll, where misleading claims about ghost and hired voters circulated alongside AI-generated material during result collation.
He said independent observers found the declared results consistent with polling unit figures despite the misinformation.
Haruna further called for stronger public education on PVC collection and participation, recalling that voter turnout in the 2023 presidential election stood at just 26.72 per cent of registered voters.
He urged news organisations to investigate vote buying and help expose digital manipulation, including deepfakes and fraudulent social media accounts, which he said were offences under the Cybercrimes Act.
Journalists Urged To Confirm Inform from INEC
INEC also encouraged journalists to confirm information directly through its established communication channels, including its Citizens Contact Centre, 0700-CALL-INEC (0700-2255-4632), short code 4632, and verified social media account, @inecnigeria.
Haruna assured the public that electoral personnel found guilty of compromising an election would face legal consequences.
He disclosed that the Commission was working towards having election officials and materials at polling locations by approximately 7.30 a.m. on election day to prevent avoidable delays and suspicions.
The Commissioner also pressed for wider representation of women, young people and persons with disabilities in election coverage, arguing that their experiences should feature more prominently in media reports.
Earlier, Chukwu warned that inaccurate reporting could create unnecessary tension, weaken public confidence, discourage voter participation and threaten peaceful coexistence.
NUJ Enugu State Council Chairman, Comrade Obinna Ogbuka, welcomed the Commission’s decision to host the engagement in Enugu and advocated continuous professional training for journalists.
He said the media must work with INEC to promote accurate information and responsible narratives about elections.
The Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs Victoria Eta-Messi, represented by Deputy Director of Information and Publicity, Mr Wilfred Ifogah, explained that the engagement sought to improve cooperation between the Commission and media organisations.
Discussions also covered election reporting standards, provisions of the Electoral Act 2026, INEC’s technological innovations and voting procedures.
Participants were further encouraged to strengthen fact-checking systems and election desks before the 2027 polls.
INEC Reports Progress In Preparedness
Beyond its appeal for a peaceful electoral environment, INEC has also reported progress in its operational preparations, disclosing that nine activities on its timetable for the 2027 General Election have been completed.
National Commissioner Prof. Rhoda Gumus announced the development on 12 November 2026 when she received a Kenyan electoral delegation at INEC’s headquarters in Abuja.
The delegation, drawn from Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC), visited Nigeria to study the country’s electoral processes and institutional experience.
Kenyan High Commissioner to Nigeria, Mr Isaac Keen Parashina, led the visiting team.
Gumus, representing INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the Commission had completed several preparatory tasks and was advancing towards the next stage of its election timetable.
She explained that Amupitan had recently visited the six geopolitical zones to examine operational readiness, identify challenges and develop solutions with relevant officials.
The nationwide assessment ended the previous week.
Gumus said the Commission was approaching the main election period, with preparations for non-sensitive materials almost complete. She disclosed that some of the materials had already been dispatched to certain geopolitical zones.
She also confirmed that PVC production had been completed, with most states receiving their first and second batches as collection continued.
Urging registered voters to collect their cards, she warned that failure to obtain a PVC would prevent them from meeting an essential requirement for voting.
She disclosed that INEC is also training personnel at its headquarters and state offices while advancing the procurement and deployment of BVAS equipment.
However, diaspora voting remains outside the Commission’s immediate implementation plans because the existing electoral legislation does not provide for it.
Gumus said legislative amendments would be necessary before INEC could introduce voting arrangements for Nigerians living abroad.
She added that the Commission had scheduled departmental presentations and interactive discussions to enable the Kenyan visitors to examine its operations and obtain information directly from relevant directors.
Parashina expressed appreciation for the reception, noting that the Nigerian Commission was managing a demanding schedule ahead of the forthcoming elections.
He described the benchmarking exercise as an opportunity to strengthen cooperation between the two African countries and learn from Nigeria’s electoral experience.
He said Kenya was examining ways to broaden voting access, particularly for citizens residing outside the country, while also improving participation opportunities for special interest groups.
Parashina disclosed that approximately 12 countries accommodated Kenyan voters during the last general election, with plans to increase the number to about 26 countries.
He said the expansion was required by Kenya’s Constitution and supported by court decisions, making gradual implementation necessary.
He also said that the discussions provided an opportunity for both electoral institutions to exchange experiences as Nigeria advances preparations for its 2027 elections and Kenya works towards expanding its own electoral participation arrangements.
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