2027: Politicians Already Using Fake News As Weapon – Media Expert

As Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general election, the battle for votes is already playing out beyond rallies, television and campaign posters.

Social media, WhatsApp groups and anonymous online pages have become powerful channels where a false claim can spread before the truth catches up.

Fake videos, doctored pictures, fabricated audio and false election results could become even harder to detect as artificial intelligence makes manipulated content more convincing.

Veteran journalist and media trainer, Lekan Otufodunrin, however, said fake news may influence some voters without determining the overall outcome of the election.

“Fake news, misinformation, disinformation, and malinformation, all kinds of misinformation, can influence; it will determine who some Nigerians will vote for,” Otufodunrin, Executive Director of the Media Career Development Network, told Naija News in an interview.

He said politically loyal Nigerians who lack the ability to distinguish facts from falsehoods could be especially vulnerable.

“Especially Nigerians who are not discerning, Nigerians who cannot differentiate between real news and fake news,” he said, adding that some people readily believe negative claims about politicians they dislike.

Otufodunrin said political actors are already using misinformation ahead of 2027.

“Nigerian politicians are already using fake news as a weapon ahead of 2027 in real terms,” he said.

He pointed to the growing number of political media aides and online supporters, saying some use their platforms to attack opponents, spread unverified claims and promote favourable narratives.

“There are a lot of people online whose job is to publish fake news, to publish fake analysis, to use false names and identities to promote false, fake information,” he said.

Artificial intelligence could make the situation worse by producing realistic videos, audio and images that are difficult for ordinary users to authenticate.

“AI-generated videos, fake audio, and all these kinds of manipulated pictures will be a major threat,” Otufodunrin said.

He cited false claims during the Osun election, including reports that candidates had withdrawn when they had not.

“I keep telling people seeing is no longer believing, hearing is no longer believing,” he said.

He warned that manipulated content could leave voters confused about what is real.

“People will get confused. People will not be sure what to believe, and some people will believe what is not true,” he added.

According to Otufodunrin, emotions and political loyalty are major reasons people accept sensational claims without checking them.

“Some of them believe it because it is what they want to hear about some of those people, whether it is true or not,” he said.

He also blamed poor media literacy and the culture of forwarding messages on WhatsApp.

“A good number of them do not have the media literacy to be able to differentiate, to be able to fact-check,” he said.

“WhatsApp culture has encouraged people to share all kinds of false information,” he added.

While many Nigerian media organisations now have fact-checking desks and several independent groups are working to verify claims, Otufodunrin said more still needs to be done.

“Nigerian journalists are trying,” he said, but added that some media houses still publish false information because they lack the skills or resources to verify it.

He urged journalists to strengthen their fact-checking skills and follow basic professional standards.

“When in doubt, you leave it out,” he said.

He also warned against allowing the race for traffic and breaking news to replace accuracy.

“It’s supposed to be speed and accuracy; it’s not about speed alone,” he said.

With many Nigerians getting political news from bloggers and influencers, Otufodunrin questioned the reliability of some online platforms.

“They cannot be trusted to report the 2027 election,” he said of many influencers and bloggers, accusing some of operating without professional ethics.

He said some platforms are created to promote political narratives or make money, describing parts of the online space as “cash-and-carry.”

However, he acknowledged efforts by fact-checking organisations to educate bloggers and influencers about verification.

“You need to fact-check,” he said.

One of the biggest dangers, according to Otufodunrin, is the circulation of fake election results before INEC makes official announcements.

“Fake election results can trigger violence and also make people doubt the authenticity of results in 2027 when that election is held,” he said.

He warned that false results could cause supporters to protest or reject genuine results.

“We don’t get to a situation where candidates who didn’t win some elections are declared winners, and when INEC announces the right winner, people start protesting and taking the law into their hands,” he said.

Otufodunrin said fighting election misinformation requires cooperation among INEC, journalists, technology companies, civil society groups and voters.

“As a collective, we all owe it a responsibility to ensure that we prevent misinformation,” he said.

He called on social media platforms to act against accounts that repeatedly spread false information and urged INEC to provide journalists with more information and training.

“Journalists themselves need to know what is the true thing so that they don’t get caught up in misbehaving like the social media people that we are complaining about,” he said.

“Many innocent voters are left confused,” he said, warning that false information could “cast doubt on the 2027 poll. Trust is very, very important. It’s sacrosanct for journalism,” Otufodunrin said.