INEC boss, Yakubu highlights danger of hate speech to electoral process

Prof. Mahmood Yakubu, the chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, or INEC, has emphasized the threat that hate speech poses to the democratic process.

Yakubu spoke on Monday at the iVerify project launch in Abuja, which was hosted by the International Press Center. He was accompanied by the Acting Director of Voter Education and Publicity.

Hate speech, according to the head of INEC, is a serious threat to societal harmony and the electoral process since it can sow discord, hatred, and undermine the values of democracy and equality.

According to him, hate speech poses a number of serious risks to the election process, including but not exclusive to:

undermines the principles of democracy. By employing divisive rhetoric to target people based on their color, religion, nationality, gender, and other traits, it undercuts the fundamental democratic ideals of respect for human rights, equality, and treating everyone fairly. Hate speech has the power to incite exclusion and prejudice, which is against the core principles of democracy.

“Disturbs the unity of society.” It can exacerbate conflict within communities and deepen social divide.

incite hatred and bloodshed. Hate speech possesses the capacity to provoke acts of violence and prejudice towards specific communities. In the context of the election process, it can incite animosity and aggressiveness, resulting in acts of harassment, intimidation, and even physical violence. Elections may not proceed peacefully as a result of this.

undermines the democratic process. It has the potential to divert focus from important discussions and initiatives to

“Undermine the institution’s credibility. Public confidence in democratic institutions, such as the electoral process, political leadership, and the media, may be damaged by the spread of hate speech during the election process.

Earlier in her speech, Lanre Arogundade, Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), emphasized the importance of stepping up efforts to combat the alarming phenomenon of information disorder, which is typified by an increase in hate speech, misinformation, and disinformation, particularly during electoral and democratic processes.

He stated that in order to do this, media literacy and public education must be promoted; journalists’ competence for fact-checking election material and democratic procedures must be strengthened; and

Working together to increase support for the conditions that allow reliable information to be distributed

Insisting that using fact-checking techniques in the gathering and dissemination of electoral information and putting aside their political biases or partisan prejudices could enable the reporter to present to the public what is factual and not the opinionated ones in their heads, he said the emphasis has been on journalists being detectives of disinformation and regularly arming themselves with fact-checking tools.

“If the idea of media literacy is not fully embraced as a way of educating journalists, other media professionals, and the public, the effort to curb disinformation will not bring about the desired result,” he continued.