The Independent National Electoral Commission has issued a firm warning to media organizations ahead of the 2027 general elections, stating that only the commission holds the legal authority to declare official results.

Professor Joash Amupitan, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, delivered the message on Tuesday in Abuja during a national stakeholders meeting convened to mark one hundred days to the polls. He cautioned news organizations against publishing or broadcasting election figures drawn from privately collated sources, emphasizing that such actions risk creating conflicting narratives and undermining public confidence in the official outcome.

Under the Electoral Act, the statutory power to declare results in national elections rests exclusively with the commission, Amupitan stressed. He urged media houses to verify every election related claim directly with the Independent National Electoral Commission before publication or broadcast. The chairman further advised newsrooms to establish dedicated fact checking desks and to deploy digital forensic tools so that accuracy takes clear precedence over speed. In his words, it remains far more important to be right than to be first.

The commission also noted ongoing upgrades to its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the Result Viewing Portal, including the acquisition of additional devices fitted with inbuilt batteries, to strengthen the integrity of the process. Amupitan reiterated that technical challenges will not automatically halt result collation, underscoring the commission’s commitment to a transparent and credible election.