Politics
Experts Want ECOWAS Parliament To Tackle Fake News
The media and information communication technology (ICT) experts made the appeal at the end of ECOWAS Parliament’s week-long 2025 Second Extraordinary Session on Saturday in Port Harcourt.
The experts focused on the sub-theme: ‘Disinformation and Misinformation in the Era of AI: Challenges for Governance in the ECOWAS Sub-region’.
The event aimed to sensitise the lawmakers, and West Africans alike, on the advent and deployment of AI to counter digital information manipulation, fake news and hate speech, especially on the social media.
Speaking at the panel discussion, the experts decried what they described as the “invasion of the social media space by some unscrupulous people.”
According to them, such elements distort news items or deliberately fabricate falsehood to deceive and cause harm to individuals and the society in West Africa.
“The confusion and destabilisation caused by these trends can lead to social upheaval and threaten social cohesion, especially in diverse societies, which if not properly handled can make governance difficult.
“I will advise for a strategic agency to monitor disinformation that come through AI because, if the proper thing is done, governance process will move very fast and deliver development goals.
“I also advocate for a guided regulation, which does not impose restrictions that will deny the people basic rights to information in the name of regulation, because it will be counterproductive,” Ms Kierimagha Obomanu, Deputy Director, Rivers Broadcasting Corporation, said.
Ms Obomanu stated that the ECOWAS sub-region lacked adequate structure for fact-checking information, and solicited investments in the training of journalists, specifically for that purpose.
Mr Christian Odo, an ICT expert, called for the massive sensitisation of the entire ECOWAS sub-region about the dangers of information manipulation, noting that “people appeal to divisive issues of ethnicity and religion.”
Mr Suleiman Gumi advocated for the sanctioning of fake news perpetrators, saying that AI-induced malicious content surge was being weaponised by individuals to serve their selfish social, political and economic agenda.
Grace Abiante, another IT expert, said sensitisation was key to addressing the fake news menace, while exposure to AI as a manipulation tool could be curbed by a properly regulated framework.
“Fact-checking, such as going to ChatGPT will assist in checking AI-induced fake news in order to mitigate the negative consequences for both individuals and society at large,” she added.
Misinformation refers to false or inaccurate information that is usually spread by someone, with or without the intention to deceive, which may be true but unsupported by facts.
Disinformation, on the other hand, is false or inaccurate information that is spread intentionally by someone who creates and shares it with the intent to mislead others.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has extended the deadline for political parties to submit the list of candidates for the 2027 governorship and state Houses of Assembly elections from Saturday, August 8, to Tuesday, August 11, 2026.
The commission announced the extension in a statement issued on Saturday and signed by the National Commissioner and Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Haruna.
According to INEC, the decision followed appeals by political parties for additional time to complete the submission process through the dedicated online portal.
“The submission window, which according to the revised Timetable and Schedule of Activities for the General Election was originally scheduled to close on Saturday, 8th August, 2026, has been extended to Tuesday, 11th August, 2026,” the commission said.
In a a related development, INEC announced the suspension of PVC collection in Osun State ahead of the August 15 governorship election.
The commission said voters who applied for replacement of lost, damaged or defaced Permanent Voter Cards would have until midnight on Sunday, August 9, to print downloadable copies of their cards.
The electoral body explained that the deadline was necessary to enable it compile data on downloaded PVCs and produce final statistics on the total number of cards collected ahead of the election.
INEC said PVC collection in Osun commenced at the Registration Area level from July 22 to 28, 2026, but was extended to July 31 following complaints about large crowds and difficulties experienced by voters at collection centres.
The exercise subsequently moved to the local government level and ran from August 1 to 7.
The commission also disclosed that replacement downloadable PVCs had been made available to voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas following the theft of cards during attacks on the two collection centres.
It stressed that the stolen cards could not be used to vote.
INEC reassured Osun residents of its preparedness for the August 15 governorship election.
“The commission reiterates that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
“INEC reassures the people of Osun State of its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive governorship election on 15th August, 2026,” the statement said.
The commission said the deadline, initially set for Saturday, 8 August, has been extended to Tuesday, 11 August 2026, following appeals from political parties for more time.
INEC also announced that the window for voters who applied to replace lost, damaged or defaced PVCs to download their replacement cards will close at midnight on Sunday, 9 August.
The move is to enable the commission compile final PVC collection figures ahead of the 15 August Osun governorship election.
INEC said replacement downloadable PVCs have also been provided to affected voters in Odo-Otin and Ife Central Local Government Areas after hoodlums carted away cards from two collection centres, stressing that the stolen cards cannot be used to vote.
The commission reaffirmed its readiness to conduct a free, fair, credible and inclusive election in Osun State.
Gov. Kefas made the remarks over the weekend at the Federal Medical Centre (FMC), Jalingo, during the flag-off of the second phase of the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach in Taraba State, organised as part of activities marking Prof. Yilwatda’s 58th birthday.
The governor commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing to mark his birthday by providing medical care to people in need.
“What Professor Nentawe did is a powerful demonstration of what leadership should be,” Gov. Kefas said.
He assured that his administration would continue to support initiatives that complement government efforts to improve healthcare delivery and the wellbeing of residents.
Speaking at the event, Prof. Yilwatda called on Nigerian leaders to embrace the culture of giving and use their positions to touch the lives of the less privileged.
He said his decision to celebrate his 58th birthday in Taraba State was deliberate and informed by the needs of underserved communities, particularly people who face difficulties accessing healthcare because of distance and financial constraints.
According to him, the intervention followed a needs assessment and was extended across the three senatorial districts of the state.
He said the exercise commenced on August 3 at Takum General Hospital and covered the Federal University Teaching Hospital, Wukari; First Referral Hospital, Sunkani, Ardo-Kola Local Government Area; General Hospital, Bali; General Hospital, Gembu; and FMC Jalingo.
Prof. Yilwatda said the intervention provided medical services to thousands of beneficiaries, including people who required surgical procedures.
He said sustainable national development could only be achieved when strong institutions placed Nigerians at the centre of development.
“Leadership is about service,” he said, urging political and public leaders to make giving back to society an important part of their responsibilities.
He reaffirmed his commitment to serving Nigeria and its people, saying his personal vision was to make every day of his life useful to humanity.
“Every day that I live, the vision is: let it be useful to humanity,” he said.
The Taraba State Commissioner for Health, Dr. Bordiya Buma, commended the initiative, saying it was consistent with the Renewed Hope agenda and efforts to strengthen healthcare delivery in the state.
Dr Buma said the second phase followed the successful completion of the first phase, which was conducted simultaneously in six local government areas, with two LGAs selected from each of the three senatorial districts.
According to him, more than 10,000 patients were attended to during the first phase, including people with medical and surgical conditions.
He disclosed that 327 general surgeries, 71 eye surgeries and 575 dental procedures were carried out during the exercise.
The commissioner expressed appreciation to President Bola Tinubu for the Renewed Hope Medical Outreach and thanked Prof. Yilwatda for supporting the initiative and choosing Taraba State as a beneficiary.
The Minister of Health and Social Welfare, Prof. Muhammad Ali Pate, also commended Prof. Yilwatda for choosing Taraba State to mark his 58th birthday through a medical outreach.
Prof. Pate said making healthcare the centrepiece of the birthday celebration was significant because health affects everyone.
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