Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition Opens Situation Rooms Ahead of Osun State Governorship Election

The Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition has activated its election monitoring infrastructure ahead of the Osun State governorship election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026, deploying teams of trained fact-checkers and editors to combat the spread of misinformation and disinformation during the critical electoral period. In a statement released by the coalition’s National Coordinator, David Ajikobi, on Thursday, the organization confirmed that its members and volunteers would operate from strategic command centers in Abuja and Lagos to monitor false and manipulated narratives that could potentially incite violence, suppress voter participation, and undermine public trust in the electoral process. The coalition’s proactive approach reflects growing concerns about the impact of information disorder on democratic processes, particularly in a state where political tensions have historically run high and where the security situation has been described as concerning in the lead-up to the election.

The coalition has adopted a comprehensive two-pronged strategy that combines remote monitoring capabilities with on-the-ground presence in Osun State, ensuring that fact-checkers can respond quickly to emerging narratives and provide real-time assessments to the central situation rooms. Partner organizations including Africa Check and the Digital Africa Research and Safety Lab have deployed teams to the state to observe the electoral process firsthand and gather primary information that can be verified against official sources and local knowledge. This dual approach recognizes the unique challenges of monitoring election-related misinformation in real-time, particularly in communities where traditional communication channels intersect with rapidly evolving digital platforms. The presence of fact-checkers on the ground also enables the coalition to build relationships with local journalists, civil society organizations, and community leaders, creating a network of information sharing that can help identify and counter false narratives before they gain widespread traction.

Since its formation in June 2022, the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition has established itself as a leading force in the fight against misinformation, bringing together signatories of the International Fact-Checking Network including Africa Check, CableCheck from The Cable, FactCheckHub, and DUBAWA, who work alongside other prominent partner organizations such as the International Centre for Investigative Reporting, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development, FactsMatterNG, Alkalanci, The Continental, Round Check, WikkiTimes, and FactWatch. This collaborative framework represents one of the most ambitious fact-checking initiatives in African journalism, pooling resources, expertise, and reach to create a unified response to the growing challenge of information disorder. The coalition’s membership spans different media platforms, journalistic traditions, and geographical coverage areas, enabling a comprehensive approach to monitoring that can track narratives across multiple channels and contexts simultaneously.

The coalition’s track record during the Ekiti State governorship election demonstrated the effectiveness of its collaborative model, with fact-checkers successfully identifying and verifying numerous harmful narratives that threatened the integrity of the electoral process. Building on this experience, the organization has refined its methodologies and expanded its capabilities in preparation for the Osun election, recognizing that the approaching 2027 general election makes the lessons learned during state-level contests particularly valuable. The Ekiti experience provided crucial insights into the patterns of misinformation that emerge during Nigerian elections, the speed at which false narratives can spread, and the most effective strategies for verification and correction. These lessons have been incorporated into the coalition’s training programs and operational procedures, ensuring that fact-checkers are better prepared to respond to the specific challenges likely to emerge in Osun State.

The coalition’s work extends beyond simple fact-checking to encompass broader Media and Information Literacy initiatives designed to help Nigerians better understand and navigate the complex information environment surrounding the election. These educational efforts focus on equipping citizens with practical skills to identify misleading and manipulated content, critically assess the credibility of information sources, and make informed decisions about what they consume and share both online and offline. The emphasis on media literacy recognizes that fact-checking alone cannot solve the problem of misinformation, and that empowering citizens with critical thinking skills creates a more resilient information ecosystem. By building public capacity to evaluate information independently, the coalition aims to create lasting improvements in how Nigerians engage with media and political communication, with benefits that extend far beyond the immediate context of the election.

Security Concerns Amplify Need for Vigilant Information Monitoring in Osun State

The security situation in Osun State ahead of the governorship election has emerged as a particularly significant concern for the fact-checking coalition, with Kemi Busari, the Editor of DUBAWA Nigeria, highlighting the heightened risks of security-related misinformation and disinformation during this sensitive period. “The security situation in Osun leading up to this election has been concerning. We expect a lot of security-related misinformation and disinformation. We are already seeing some of them; some are even old or unrelated claims,” Busari noted, pointing to the sophisticated tactics employed by those seeking to manipulate public perception through the recycling of outdated or unrelated content designed to create fear and uncertainty among voters. The potential for misinformation to exacerbate already tense security conditions represents one of the most dangerous aspects of information disorder, with false claims about violence, electoral fraud, or security force actions capable of triggering real-world consequences including civil unrest, voter suppression, or retaliatory actions.

The coalition’s monitoring efforts therefore place particular emphasis on identifying and rapidly debunking security-related claims that could inflame tensions or discourage voter participation, recognizing that the integrity of the election depends not only on the actual security situation but also on public perception of safety and fairness. Busari expressed hope that citizens would be able to vote freely and based on their genuine choices, and affirmed the coalition’s commitment to providing accurate information to support informed decision-making. “We have a team of trained fact-checkers and editors monitoring the information space both online and offline, and we will be working with local partners to disseminate our reports,” he stated, outlining a comprehensive approach that combines rigorous verification with strategic distribution of accurate information through trusted local channels.

The security dimension of election misinformation presents unique challenges for fact-checkers, requiring them to balance speed with accuracy when responding to potentially dangerous claims that could have immediate real-world consequences. The coalition has therefore established protocols for fast-track verification of security-related content, prioritizing claims that could pose immediate risks to public safety while maintaining rigorous standards of journalistic accuracy. This approach reflects an understanding that in the context of election-related security threats, the costs of delayed response can be measured not only in terms of misinformation spread but also in potential harm to individuals and communities. The fact-checkers are also working to build relationships with security agencies and electoral officials to facilitate rapid access to official information that can be used to counter false narratives with authoritative sources.

The presence of security-related misinformation often serves multiple purposes, from suppressing voter turnout in particular areas to delegitimizing the electoral process among certain demographic groups or undermining confidence in specific candidates or parties. Fact-checkers must therefore analyze not only the accuracy of individual claims but also their potential impact and the motivations behind their dissemination, allowing for more strategic responses that address the underlying goals of those spreading misinformation. The coalition’s experienced team brings substantial expertise in understanding the political context of Osun State and the broader dynamics of Nigerian electoral politics, enabling nuanced analysis that goes beyond simple verification to understand the strategic objectives behind false narratives.

The concerning security situation also has implications for how fact-checkers operate in the field, with teams required to balance the need for on-the-ground monitoring against safety considerations in areas where tensions may be high. The coalition has therefore developed risk assessment protocols and safety guidelines for its field teams, ensuring that fact-checkers can conduct their important work while minimizing exposure to potential dangers. These operational considerations reflect the broader challenges facing election observers and journalists in Nigeria, where the pursuit of accurate information sometimes requires navigating complex security environments while maintaining professional standards of objectivity and accuracy.

Artificial Intelligence Poses New Challenges for Election Fact-Checking and Verification

The rapid advancement of artificial intelligence technologies has fundamentally transformed the landscape of election misinformation, creating new challenges for fact-checkers that require innovative responses and sophisticated verification techniques, according to David Ajikobi, who emphasized that AI has made it faster, cheaper, and easier to create convincing false or misleading election content. “AI has made it faster, cheaper, and easier to create convincing false or misleading election content, from synthetic images and cloned voices to AI-generated text that mimics official statements,” Ajikobi explained, highlighting the range of threats posed by emerging technologies that can produce highly realistic fabrications designed to deceive even discerning audiences. The proliferation of AI-generated content represents a qualitative shift in the nature of misinformation, moving beyond simple textual falsehoods to include sophisticated multimedia fabrications that can be extraordinarily difficult to detect without specialized tools and expertise.

The speed at which AI-generated content can spread through social media platforms compounds the challenge, with fabricated materials capable of reaching nationwide audiences within minutes, often faster than fact-checkers can verify claims or issue corrections. “Social media can spread this content nationwide within minutes, often faster than it can be verified or corrected,” Ajikobi noted, describing the asymmetrical relationship between the speed of misinformation dissemination and the time required for thorough verification. This temporal gap creates a window of vulnerability during which false narratives can gain significant traction, shaping public perception before corrections become available. The coalition’s situation rooms are therefore designed to minimize this gap through streamlined verification processes and rapid response mechanisms that can move from identification to publication of fact-checks more quickly than traditional journalistic workflows would typically allow.

Perhaps most concerning is the democratization of sophisticated content creation enabled by AI tools, which means that “content that once required specialist skills can now be produced by almost anyone with a smartphone and access to AI tools.” This lowering of technical barriers has dramatically expanded the pool of potential misinformation creators, no longer limited to state-sponsored actors or skilled propagandists but now including ordinary citizens, political enthusiasts, or malicious actors with minimal technical expertise. The implications for fact-checkers are significant, as they must contend with a much larger volume and variety of potentially misleading content than ever before, requiring prioritization strategies that focus resources on the narratives most likely to cause harm or significantly influence electoral outcomes.

The growing sophistication of AI-generated misinformation presents particular challenges for Nigerian voters, who may encounter fabricated content that appears increasingly authentic and difficult to distinguish from genuine media. “This means Nigerians are likely to encounter more sophisticated election misinformation, making early detection, rapid verification, and credible correction more important than ever,” Ajikobi said, emphasizing the critical role of coordinated fact-checking efforts in protecting electoral integrity. The coalition’s response includes investment in AI-detection technologies and training for fact-checkers in identifying subtle indicators of synthetic content, while also recognizing that technological approaches alone cannot solve the problem and must be complemented by robust verification methodologies that trace claims to primary sources and authoritative documentation.

The situation room concept becomes particularly valuable in this context, providing a centralized hub where expertise and resources can be pooled to address the scale and complexity of AI-enabled misinformation. “This is why coordinated efforts like the NFC Situation Room are important in identifying false narratives before they gain wider traction,” Ajikobi explained, articulating the strategic value of collaborative approaches that can respond more quickly and effectively than individual organizations working separately. By combining the technical capabilities, journalistic expertise, and distribution networks of multiple partner organizations, the coalition can mount a more comprehensive defense against AI-powered misinformation, while also developing shared databases of verified information that can be deployed to counter recurring false narratives. This collaborative model also enables the development of standardized verification protocols and best practices that can be applied consistently across different contexts and platforms.

Media Literacy Initiatives Aim to Build Public Confidence and Resilience Against Disinformation

The Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition has broadened its approach beyond reactive fact-checking to include proactive educational initiatives designed to build public resilience against misinformation and empower citizens with the critical thinking skills necessary to navigate an increasingly complex information environment during the election period and beyond. The coalition’s Media and Information Literacy activities represent a strategic investment in long-term solutions to information disorder, recognizing that an informed and discerning public is ultimately the most effective defense against manipulation and false narratives. These initiatives aim to help Nigerians better understand the information ecosystem they inhabit, including the motivations of different content creators, the mechanisms of information dissemination, and the techniques used to manipulate public opinion, providing citizens with the conceptual tools needed to evaluate claims independently rather than relying solely on external verification.

The practical skills imparted through these literacy programs focus on identifying misleading and manipulated content, with participants learning to recognize common indicators of fabrication such as inconsistencies in visual materials, anomalies in text that may suggest AI generation, and the use of emotionally charged language designed to bypass critical reasoning. Training also covers techniques for verifying the credibility of information sources, including how to research the backgrounds and track records of media outlets, check for corroboration across multiple independent sources, and identify potential biases or conflicts of interest that might affect the reliability of information. These skills are particularly valuable in the context of social media, where algorithms often prioritize engagement over accuracy and where the virality of content can create impressions of credibility regardless of factual accuracy.

The coalition’s commitment to media literacy reflects a broader philosophy that sustainable solutions to misinformation require not only correcting falsehoods but also addressing the underlying vulnerabilities that allow misinformation to thrive. By equipping citizens with the tools to make informed decisions about information they consume and share both online and offline, the coalition aims to create a more resilient information ecosystem that is less susceptible to manipulation. “We want them to develop simple habits such as pausing before sharing unverified information, checking claims against credible sources, and recognizing manipulated or AI-generated content,” Ajikobi explained, describing the behavioral changes that media literacy initiatives seek to foster. These habits, while simple in concept, represent significant shifts in how individuals engage with information, moving from passive acceptance to active evaluation and verification.

The emphasis on practical decision-making skills acknowledges that most citizens will not become professional fact-checkers but can still contribute to a healthier information environment by adopting more rigorous approaches to information consumption and sharing. The coalition’s educational programs therefore emphasize real-world applications of critical thinking skills, using examples of actual election-related misinformation to illustrate common techniques and demonstrate effective verification strategies. This approach makes the training more relevant and memorable, helping participants internalize lessons that they can apply when encountering similar content in the future. The programs are designed to be accessible to diverse audiences, recognizing that misinformation affects all segments of society and that effective responses must reach beyond traditional media literacy audiences to include communities that may be more vulnerable to false narratives.

The media literacy initiatives also contribute to the coalition’s broader goal of building public confidence in the information environment, complementing the fact-checking work that addresses specific instances of misinformation. By helping Nigerians develop greater confidence in their ability to evaluate information critically, the coalition aims to reduce the anxiety and uncertainty that misinformation can generate, creating conditions more conducive to informed civic participation and democratic decision-making. This confidence-building dimension recognizes that the ultimate test of the electorate’s resilience is not whether they encounter misinformation—which is inevitable—but how they respond to it and whether they have the tools to distinguish reliable information from manipulation. The coalition’s comprehensive approach, combining immediate fact-checking responses with longer-term educational investments, positions it to make meaningful contributions to electoral integrity and democratic governance in Nigeria.

Coalition Calls for Public Vigilance and Provides Channels for Reporting Suspect Information

As the election approaches, the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition has called on voters, journalists, civil society organizations, and other stakeholders to exercise vigilance in verifying election-related information before sharing it, particularly content designed to provoke fear, anger, or confusion that could undermine the electoral process. The coalition’s statement emphasized the critical role that every citizen can play in limiting the spread of misinformation by adopting simple verification habits and thinking carefully before forwarding potentially misleading content to others. This call to action recognizes that misinformation spreads through social networks, requiring collective responsibility to interrupt transmission chains and prevent false narratives from gaining traction. The coalition urged members of the public to be particularly skeptical of content that evokes strong emotional responses, as manipulative content often relies on heightening emotional reactions to bypass critical thinking and encourage rapid sharing.

To facilitate public participation in combating misinformation, the coalition has established multiple channels for reporting potentially false or misleading content, encouraging citizens to forward suspicious material to the situation rooms for verification. Members of the public can report unverified information via WhatsApp at +2349030785265 or +2349083777789, or by email at nigerianfactcheckerscoalition@gmail.com, with the coalition’s teams prepared to respond quickly to these submissions and incorporate them into their monitoring efforts. These reporting mechanisms create a crowdsourcing dimension to the fact-checking process, expanding the coalition’s reach beyond its own monitoring capabilities and enabling the public to contribute to the identification of emerging false narratives. The low barriers to reporting—simply forwarding suspicious content to the provided channels—make it accessible for citizens who may not have sophisticated digital literacy skills but recognize that they have encountered something questionable.

The coalition’s decision to publicize these reporting channels represents a strategic choice to transform passive audiences into active participants in the fight against misinformation, fostering a sense of shared ownership over the information environment. This approach also helps build trust between the public and fact-checking organizations, as citizens who submit reports receive feedback on the verification process and can see their contributions resulting in published fact-checks. The transparency of this process reinforces the coalition’s credibility while demonstrating that fact-checking is not an elite activity reserved for journalists but a collaborative endeavor that benefits from widespread public engagement. The reporting mechanisms also provide valuable intelligence for the coalition’s monitoring efforts, helping fact-checkers identify which narratives are gaining traction in different communities and adjust their priorities accordingly.

The public reporting channels complement the coalition’s own monitoring capabilities, which encompass comprehensive tracking of social media platforms, broadcast media, and print publications, as well as on-the-ground observation in Osun State. By combining professional monitoring with grassroots reporting, the coalition can achieve more complete coverage of the information landscape, detecting both widely circulated misinformation and localized false narratives that might otherwise escape national attention. This comprehensive approach is essential for addressing the full range of misinformation threats facing the election, from viral falsehoods designed for maximum reach to targeted disinformation campaigns aimed at specific communities or demographic groups.

The coalition’s response to reports goes beyond simply verifying claims to include strategic considerations of how to correct misinformation most effectively, recognizing that corrections must reach the same audiences that encountered the original falsehoods. Fact-checkers therefore consider the platforms where misinformation circulated, the communities most affected, and the most credible messengers for communicating corrections when determining how to publish and distribute their findings. The coalition assured the public that verified reports and fact-checks will be disseminated through its member organizations and partners throughout the election period, ensuring that accurate information is available to counter false narratives and that the public has access to reliable sources they can trust.

Comprehensive Fact-Checking Network Represents Model for Protecting Electoral Integrity

The Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition’s comprehensive approach to election monitoring represents a significant advance in the ongoing effort to protect the integrity of democratic processes in Africa’s most populous nation, demonstrating the potential for collaborative fact-checking initiatives to mount effective resistance against the growing threat of information disorder. As Nigeria approaches the 2027 general election, the systems and methodologies being deployed in Osun State will provide valuable lessons and infrastructure that can be adapted and expanded for the much larger electoral contests ahead. The coalition’s experience in Ekiti and now Osun states has created a blueprint for election fact-checking that can be refined and scaled to address the unique challenges of national elections, where the volume of misinformation is likely to be substantially greater and where the potential for harmful consequences is correspondingly higher.

The coalition’s success depends on the effectiveness of its collaborative model, which brings together organizations with different strengths and capabilities to create a whole that is greater than the sum of its parts. This collaboration enables resource sharing that would be impossible for individual organizations acting alone, including the development of shared verification tools, the pooling of expertise across different domains of fact-checking, and the coordination of distribution networks to ensure fact-checks reach the widest possible audiences. The diversity of partner organizations also provides resilience, ensuring that the fact-checking ecosystem can continue functioning even if individual organizations face capacity constraints or operational challenges. The model demonstrates that collaboration rather than competition is the most effective response to the shared threat of misinformation, setting an example that could inspire similar initiatives in other countries facing comparable challenges.

The comprehensive nature of the coalition’s approach, combining fact-checking with media literacy initiatives and public engagement, reflects an understanding that sustainable solutions to misinformation must address both immediate instances of falsehood and the underlying conditions that make populations susceptible to manipulation. This holistic perspective acknowledges that fact-checking alone cannot solve the problem of information disorder, particularly in contexts where trust in media institutions may be low and where social media algorithms reward sensational content regardless of accuracy. By working to improve public capacity for critical evaluation of information while simultaneously addressing specific instances of misinformation, the coalition aims to create lasting improvements in the information ecosystem that will serve Nigerian democracy well beyond the immediate election cycle.

The establishment of situation rooms represents an institutional innovation that could become a permanent feature of Nigerian electoral infrastructure, providing a dedicated capability for monitoring and responding to misinformation during critical democratic moments. The lessons learned during the Osun election about what works and what could be improved will inform the development of more sophisticated systems for future elections, potentially including enhanced technological capabilities for detecting AI-generated content, stronger relationships with social media platforms for rapid removal of harmful falsehoods, and more effective mechanisms for correcting misinformation within the communities most affected. The evolution of these systems will be crucial for addressing the growing sophistication of misinformation techniques and the increasing scale of the challenge posed by digital disinformation.

Ultimately, the Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition represents a critical line of defense for democratic governance, working to ensure that citizens can make electoral decisions based on accurate information rather than manipulation. The success of the Osun State operation will provide important indicators about the health of Nigeria’s information ecosystem and the effectiveness of fact-checking interventions in protecting electoral integrity. As the nation looks toward the 2027 general election, the systems established by the coalition for state-level elections will provide a foundation for expanded operations that can help safeguard the integrity of the national vote. The coalition’s work embodies the principle that democracy depends not only on free and fair elections but also on informed citizens capable of making decisions based on reliable information, and that protecting this capability requires sustained investment in fact-checking, media literacy, and collaborative approaches to countering misinformation.