As Nigeria moves towards its January 2027 general elections, peacebuilders, security experts, and digital communication specialists are warning that misinformation could deepen political tensions, undermine trust in the electoral process, and trigger violence if measures are not taken.
False claims, manipulated videos, fabricated election results and rumours about candidates, polling units, or communities could spread rapidly through WhatsApp, Facebook, TikTok and other platforms.
Experts warn the danger goes beyond misleading voters. In a country already facing insecurity and ethnic and religious tensions, misinformation could turn suspicion into confrontation and online rumours into real-world violence.
An example occurred in Kaduna State in June 2026, when a female Islamic teacher and mother of four was lynched after being falsely accused of stealing a child.
Her husband, Aliyu Mohammed, told Peace News Network (PNN) the family remained devastated. “I am confused and heartbroken because she did nothing wrong. She was an Islamic teacher and was simply on her way to attend a religious lecture when people stopped her and accused her of stealing a child,” he said.
The incident has renewed concerns about what could happen if similar false allegations are introduced into a tense political environment during an election. Community leader and Chairman of the Council of Imams in Maraban Jos, Imam Umar Yusuf, urged residents to avoid acting on unverified information.
Election Misinformation
Digital communication expert Aminu Ilyasu Kajuru said Nigeria’s heavy reliance on social media and messaging platforms had made the country vulnerable to misinformation, particularly during elections.
“In Nigeria, misinformation spreads faster than ever because of our heavy reliance on WhatsApp and Facebook for daily news. People often forward messages without checking if they are true, especially when the news touches on sensitive areas like fuel prices, politics, religion, food shortages, or election results,” he said.
Kajuru recalled that during the 2023 general elections, false information about polling units and electoral activities caused confusion and fear in some communities. “This makes Nigerian social media a powerful but dangerous tool, because once a false story starts, it reaches millions within hours and forces people to make quick, often unwise, decisions,” he said.
Ahead of 2027, experts are particularly concerned about false claims involving election results, polling units, voting procedures, political candidates, and ethnic or religious groups.
A manipulated video showing an alleged attack could provoke retaliation before authorities establish whether the incident actually happened. Fabricated results or claims that voting has been deliberately disrupted could also undermine confidence in the electoral process and encourage confrontation.
Kajuru said misinformation should therefore be treated as a peace and security issue rather than merely an online problem. “These false stories do not just stay online; they actively push Nigerians into serious physical action,” he said.
Political Figures Must Act
Peace advocate Samson Auta of the Interfaith Media Centre, Kaduna said misinformation could be deliberately weaponised by political actors seeking to exploit Nigeria’s ethnic and religious fault lines.
He called on candidates and political parties to reject hate speech, commit themselves to peace agreements, and discourage supporters from circulating malicious information against opponents.
“Our stakeholders can build a robust, well-intended societal resilience by establishing multi-diverse early-warning and fact-checking networks, deploying rapid-response messaging to debunk viral rumours before they trigger localised unrest, and partnering with trusted community and faith leaders to champion verified narratives of peace,” he said.
From Fact-Checking to ‘Pre-Bunking’
Kajuru said Nigeria should not wait until false information goes viral before responding. He advocated “pre-bunking,” educating citizens in advance about common misinformation tactics and giving them simple tools to verify information.
“The best defence is not just fact-checking after the damage is done, but ‘pre-bunking’ teaching Nigerians simple skills to verify news before they share it,” he said. He suggested short audio messages in local languages and Pidgin English, particularly through WhatsApp, to teach citizens how to identify fabricated information.
“The goal is to slow down the rush to react, so that when Nigerians see shocking news, their first action is to pause and ask, ‘Is this really true?’ before taking any steps,” he said.
Media Responsibility
Auta said journalists would have an important role in preventing misinformation from escalating during elections. He urged media organisations to prioritise conflict-sensitive reporting and rigorous verification, especially when reporting allegations involving political candidates, ethnic or religious communities and security incidents.
Traditional media, he said, should not reproduce unverified social media claims because they are trending. Instead, journalists could publish fact-checks, explain how misinformation works, and direct citizens towards verified information from the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), security agencies, and other credible sources.
Protecting Peace Before 2027
Experts say preventing election-related misinformation cannot be left to government alone. INEC, security agencies, political parties, journalists, fact-checkers, civil society organisations, technology companies, traditional rulers, religious leaders and communities all have roles to play.
For ordinary citizens, Kajuru and Auta say responsibility begins with resisting the temptation to forward shocking messages simply because they appear urgent. Before sharing an allegation, citizens can ask: Who produced the information? Where did it originate? Is there independent evidence? Have credible media organisations or official authorities confirmed it? Such simple steps could prevent a rumour from becoming a trigger for violence.
Nigeria’s experience with mob violence shows that misinformation can move from a phone screen to the street, with potentially fatal consequences. With campaigns for the 2027 elections commencing August 19, false claims about election results, polling units, candidates, ethnic groups, religious communities, or alleged attacks could spread within minutes.
For Auta, political competition must not become a justification for sacrificing human lives. “Prior to, during, and long after election speeches are delivered at campaign grounds and across digital spaces, we must individually and collectively choose restraint over rhetoric, facts over falsehoods, and unity over tribal, faith, or partisan polarization,” he said.
If Nigeria is to protect peace in 2027, Kajuru and Auta say the country must begin building resilience against misinformation now before election day, before tensions rise, and before a false story has the chance to become a real-world tragedy.
Keywords: Misinformation, Nigerian, Nigerian, violence, fuel, elections, Nigeria elections, conflict, peace, conflict resolution, disinformation, social media, videos
Mohammed is a multimedia freelance journalist in Kaduna State, Nigeria. He graduated from the International Institute of Journalism Abuja. In 2016 Mohammed received the Courage in Journalism Award for his investigative reporting, from the Africa Media Development Foundation.
