TD ENUGU, Nigeria — The Nigerian Guild of Editors (NGE) has called for far-reaching constitutional and electoral reforms, including the introduction of a 50 per cent vote threshold for presidential elections and the resolution of electoral disputes before winners are sworn into office.
The demands were contained in the communiqué issued at the conclusion of the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2026).
The conference was held from September 24 to 26 in Enugu State under the theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive.”
The conference brought together more than 500 editors, publishers, senior media professionals and leaders.
Areas covered include political, traditional, religious, academic, regulatory and development sectors.
NGE Seeks 50% Threshold for Presidential Elections
The NGE recommended consideration of an appropriate constitutional vote threshold under which a presidential candidate would need to secure up to 50 per cent of votes cast to win outright.
Where no candidate meets the threshold, the Guild proposed that a run-off election should be held.
The proposal would represent a significant change from the existing presidential election framework.
The framework requires a candidate to secure the highest number of votes and at least 25 per cent of votes cast in at least two-thirds of Nigeria’s 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory, with a run-off possible under specified circumstances.
The Guild’s position comes amid continuing calls for constitutional and electoral reforms ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Electoral Disputes Should Be Resolved Before Inauguration — NGE
The editors also called for electoral disputes to be resolved within appropriate timelines and, preferably, before the swearing-in of declared winners.
The Guild expressed concern that delays and judicial interventions in electoral disputes had contributed to perceptions among sections of the public that court decisions could displace results recorded at the ballot box.
It nevertheless stressed the importance of judicial independence while calling for electoral adjudication that is timely, transparent, predictable and impartial.
The NGE also advocated a review of restrictions on voters seeking to challenge electoral results.
It also called for a constitutional framework that would permit independent candidacy.
Review INEC Appointment Process
The editors further called for a review of the process through which the Chairman and National and State Commissioners of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) are appointed.
They urged INEC to sustain nationwide readiness assessments, strengthen cybersecurity and electoral technology partnerships.
They also urged INEC to ensure the technical integrity of the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and safeguard the institutional independence of the electoral commission.
The NGE stressed that all technology deployed in elections must remain subject to human oversight, transparency, accountability and legal verification.
AI, Deepfakes Pose New Electoral Threats
A major concern at the conference was the growing use of artificial intelligence to create and distribute misleading electoral information.
The editors identified generative AI, deepfakes, voice cloning and automated networks as emerging threats to the integrity of electoral information.
They warned that synthetic content could be used to fabricate election results and clone the voices of public officials.
It can also forge documents, manipulate result sheets and create fake reports falsely attributed to established media organisations.
According to the Guild, the greatest danger was not merely individual falsehoods but the broader erosion of public trust when citizens could no longer distinguish authentic information from fabricated content.
The NGE consequently urged newsrooms to institutionalise fact-checking and verification systems.
It further urged to incorporate digital verification, deepfake detection and forensic tools into their editorial workflows.
NGE Reaffirms Election Coverage Code
The Guild reaffirmed the Nigerian Media Code of Election Coverage (Revised 2022), jointly endorsed by major media and journalism organisations.
The NGE urged all news organisations to adopt the Code and train journalists and editorial staff on its provisions ahead of the 2027 elections.
It reiterated the media’s responsibility to provide accurate, verified and independent information while scrutinising governments, political parties and other centres of power.
The Guild, however, cautioned that media scrutiny should not amount to suppressing legitimate achievements.
It called for evidence-based journalism that neither exaggerates failures nor suppresses verified achievements and developments.
The editors also clarified that editorial neutrality means impartiality among legitimate political contenders.
Such does not require journalists to remain silent in the face of verified wrongdoing or create false equivalence between facts and unverified claims.
NGE Calls for Safety of Journalists
The NGE urged governments and political actors to guarantee equitable access to media space for government and opposition voices while respecting editorial independence.
It also stressed that election security must include the safety and protection of journalists covering elections.
The Guild warned that an electoral process could not be fully transparent if journalists were:
- threatened,
- attacked,
- obstructed, or,
- prevented from independently observing and reporting electoral events.
It therefore called on security agencies and political actors to protect journalists.
It also demanded that they ensure they can perform their constitutional and professional responsibilities without intimidation.
‘Inform, Don’t Amplify’ Terrorism Reporting Principle
On reporting terrorism, the conference acknowledged the difficult balance between:
- the public’s right to know about terrorist attacks, and,
- the risk that irresponsible reporting could inadvertently amplify terrorist propaganda, aid recruitment, compromise security operations or traumatise victims.
The NGE consequently endorsed the principle: “Inform, Don’t Amplify.”
The Guild urged newsrooms to identify terrorist claims clearly as claims until independently verified.
They must avoid reproducing propaganda, recruitment messages, slogans or graphic material except where there is compelling editorial justification.
NGE Says Media Must Remain ‘Pro-Nigeria, Pro-Ballot and Pro-People’
The NGE reaffirmed that the media should remain “pro-Nigeria, pro-Ballot and pro-People”, rather than align itself with any political party.
It said the credibility of Nigeria’s democracy ultimately depends on an electoral process in which citizens can make informed choices, vote freely and have confidence that their votes will be accurately counted and respected.
The conference also identified voter apathy as a consequence of factors including poor governance and electoral violence and intimidation.
Other are administrative shortcomings, declining public confidence and concerns about the relationship between electoral outcomes and subsequent judicial decisions.
Speakers and Papers at Conference
Among those who presented papers at the conference were former Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) President, Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN.
Osigwe spoke on “Election Petitions in the Digital Age: Independence, Evidence, BVAS and the Courts.”
Prof. Auwalu H. Yadudu of Bayero University, Kano, presented a paper on “Public Trust, Electoral Justice and Democratic Stability”.
Meanwhile, former Managing Director and Editor-in-Chief of The Guardian Newspapers, Martin Oloja, addressed “Terrorism Without Becoming a Tool for Terrorists.”
Other presenters included:
- Prof. Chinyere Stella Okunna of Paul University, Awka, who spoke on election security;
- Prof. Farooq A. Kperogi of Kennesaw State University, Georgia, USA, who addressed AI-driven disinformation; and,
- Dr Richard Okoye, Founder and Chief Medical Director of Save a Life Hospital, who spoke on managing stress, deadlines and personal well-being.
The NGE conference was chaired by the Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe.
The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, meanwhile, delivered the keynote address.
Vice-President Kashim Shettima participated virtually as Special Guest of Honour, while Enugu State Governor Peter Ndubuisi Mbah served as Chief Host.
