Ekiti State goes to the polls on June 20 to elect a new governor, and as with every Nigerian election, WhatsApp will be full of claims about the candidates, the process, and the result.
As Ekiti voters prepare for the election, here is how to check the claims, photos, voice notes, and videos that will likely circulate on WhatsApp before, during, and after voting.
- Look out for the ‘Forwarded’ tag
Most false claims on WhatsApp circulate as forwarded messages. You will see a small arrow icon and the word “Forwarded” above such messages. This does not automatically mean the content is false, since real news is forwarded too, but it is a sign to be cautious, since you cannot tell who wrote it or where it originated.
- Check the official sources
If a message claims that a candidate has withdrawn from the race, that a polling unit has been relocated, or that the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has made an announcement, check INEC’s official website and verified social media handles, as well as the pages of the political parties and the named candidates. INEC regularly publishes updates on its activities, and a genuine development of that scale would appear there, not only in a forwarded WhatsApp message.
- Search for the claim online
Copy the key details in the message, such as names, locations, or figures, and search them on Google. If something newsworthy actually happened in Ado Ekiti, Ikere, or any other local government area in the state, credible Nigerian newsrooms would likely have reported it. If nothing comes up except the same message being shared on other platforms, treat the claim with suspicion.
- Verify photos and videos
Photos and videos of violence, ballot snatching, or vote buying resurface during every election cycle, often recycled from previous elections or from entirely different states and countries. Use Google Reverse Image Search to check where a photo first appeared online. For videos, tools like InVID can help confirm whether footage is old or has been used elsewhere before.
- Be wary of messages designed to provoke fear or anger
Messages that push you to act immediately, such as warning you to avoid a polling unit or to spread a claim before it is “taken down,” are often designed to spread quickly rather than to inform. Genuine updates from election authorities and credible media houses are usually calm and specific, with clear sources, not urgent and alarming.
- Reach out to fact-checking organisations
If you come across a message you are unsure about, send it to a fact-checking organisation such as The Continental, FactCheckHub, Africa Check, Alkalnci or DUBAWA before sharing it further. These organisations take public submissions and have previously verified claims during Nigerian elections. Once a fact check is published, share it back into the group where you first saw the false claim, so others who saw it also see the correction.
By Blessing Amala Muonwe, Fact-checker
Editor: Bamas Victoria & Simbiat Bakare