NBC Warns Broadcasters Against Hate Speech, Misinformation Ahead of 2027 Elections
By Nafiu Muhammad Lema
The National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) has warned broadcasters, online publishers, bloggers and other content creators against spreading hate speech, misinformation and inflammatory materials capable of threatening peace during the 2027 general elections.
The warning was issued on Wednesday in a statement by Moses Jolayemi, Technical Adviser to the NBC Director-General, Charles Ebuebu, following the commencement of campaigns for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections.
The commission said the beginning of political campaigns had increased the responsibility of players in Nigeria’s information sector to uphold accuracy, fairness, professionalism and responsible journalism.
It urged licensed broadcasters to ensure that political programmes and reports were fair, balanced and equitable, stressing that media platforms must not be used to promote or suppress any political party, candidate or viewpoint.
The NBC also cautioned against broadcasting unverified allegations, statistics or political claims as facts. It said allegations involving corruption, criminality, electoral malpractice and other issues capable of damaging the reputation of individuals or institutions must be properly verified before being aired.
The commission further reminded broadcasters to respect the right of reply where individuals or organisations are genuinely misrepresented.
It warned presenters, reporters, producers and hosts of political programmes against passing personal political opinions as facts, intimidating guests, suppressing opposing views or manipulating discussions to favour particular political interests.
According to the NBC, broadcasters remain responsible for all content aired on their platforms, including contributions from guests, callers and panellists during live or interactive programmes.
NBC Bans Unofficial Election Results
The commission also directed broadcasters not to announce or project election results obtained from unofficial sources.
It said figures from polling units, exit polls and other unofficial channels must not be used to speculate on the candidate leading or likely to win an election.
The NBC stressed that election results and declarations of winners should only be broadcast after being announced by duly authorised electoral officials.
The commission also reminded broadcasters that partisan political broadcasts, campaigns, jingles and announcements must stop at least 24 hours before election day in line with the statutory campaign silence period.
It said its monitoring of political broadcasts would be intensified throughout the electioneering period, covering political advertisements, news reports, current affairs programmes, debates, interviews, phone-in programmes, commentaries, sponsored programmes and live broadcasts.
The monitoring will focus particularly on fairness and balance, airtime allocation, hate speech, misinformation, incitement, inflammatory content, presenter conduct, political advertising and compliance with the campaign silence period.
The NBC equally urged bloggers, online publishers, social media commentators and other content creators to exercise greater caution when publishing election-related information.
It warned against materials capable of inciting violence, promoting hatred, threatening public order or worsening ethnic, religious, regional and political divisions.
The commission said the political season should not be allowed to become a platform for turning Nigerians against one another.
It clarified that its objective was not to prevent legitimate political expression or robust debate, but to ensure that Nigeria’s information environment supports peaceful democratic participation.
The NBC advised broadcasters and other stakeholders to familiarise themselves with the Nigeria Broadcasting Code, the Electoral Act 2026 and relevant regulations and guidelines issued by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Under the current INEC timetable, campaigns for the presidential and National Assembly elections commenced on August 19, 2026, while campaigns for governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled to begin on September 9.
