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The Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition (NFC) has activated situation rooms in Abuja and Lagos to monitor and verify election-related misinformation ahead of the Osun State Governorship Election scheduled for Saturday, August 15, 2026.
The coalition said it is particularly concerned about false and manipulated narratives that could fuel violence, discourage voters from participating in the election or undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
NFC partner organisations, including Africa Check and Digital Africa Research Lab (DigiAfrica Lab), will also be in Osun to monitor the election firsthand and provide assessments to the situation rooms.
Kemi Busari, Editor of DUBAWA Nigeria, said the security situation in the state makes the monitoring of election-related misinformation especially important.
Busari said the coalition was already seeing security-related claims being circulated, including some that were old or unrelated to the current situation in Osun.
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“The security situation in Osun leading up to this election has been concerning. We expect a lot of security-related misinformation and disinformation,” Busari said.
He said the coalition has trained fact-checkers and editors monitoring the information environment both online and offline, while working with local partners to distribute verified reports.
The coalition is also preparing for misinformation produced or manipulated using artificial intelligence, which it says could make election-related falsehoods harder to identify.
David Ajikobi, Nigeria Editor at Africa Check and current National Coordinator of the NFC, said AI tools have made it faster and cheaper to produce convincing false content, including synthetic images, cloned voices and texts designed to resemble official statements.
According to Ajikobi, the speed at which such content can spread on social media could allow false information to reach large audiences before it is verified or corrected.
“This means Nigerians are likely to encounter more sophisticated election misinformation, making early detection, rapid verification, and credible correction more important than ever,” he said.
The NFC was formed in June 2022 and comprises signatories of the International Fact-Checking Network (IFCN), Africa Check, CableCheck (The Cable), FactCheckHub and DUBAWA.
Its other partners include the International Centre for Investigative Reporting (The ICIR), Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), FactsMatterNG, Digital Africa Research and Safety Lab, Alkalanci, The Continental, ROUNDCHECK, WikkiTimes and FactWatch, among others.
The coalition said its Osun operation builds on its collaborative fact-checking work during the Ekiti State governorship election, where it verified several harmful narratives.
It is also conducting Media and Information Literacy activities to help Nigerians assess the credibility of information sources, identify misleading or manipulated content and make informed decisions about what they consume and share.
Beyond debunking false claims, the coalition said it wants voters to develop simple habits that can help them navigate the information environment during the election.
Ajikobi urged Nigerians to pause before sharing unverified information, check claims against credible sources and learn to recognise manipulated or AI-generated content.
The NFC called on voters, journalists, civil society organisations and other stakeholders to verify election-related information before sharing it, particularly content designed to provoke fear, anger or confusion.
Members of the public can submit unverified information to the coalition’s Situation Rooms via WhatsApp on +2349030785265 and +2349083777789, or by email at nigerianfactcheckerscoalition@gmail.com for verification.
Verified reports and fact-checks will be distributed through NFC member organisations and partners throughout the election period.
