APC celebrates by-election victory, to meet Senators, Reps-elect
International bodies working to protect electoral integrity in Africa have expressed worries over the impact of disinformation, misinformation, and information manipulation during elections.
They made their position known during an engagement between International IDEA, the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) and Election Management Bodies (EMBs) to map out strategies geared towards the protection of electoral integrity in democratic processes.
International IDEA’s Senior Adviser on Electoral Processes for Africa and West Asia, Olufunto Akinduro, who spoke during the two-day event, stated that protecting elections today means protecting both the technical processes and the perception of fairness and credibility.
According to Akinduro, misinformation and disinformation are now as critical a challenge as logistical shortcomings, disclosing that the workshop is a timely opportunity to strengthen multi-stakeholders’ cooperation, as well as to safeguard public confidence in African democracies.
Also, Head of Electoral Assistance Division, ECOWAS Commission and Permanent Secretary of ECONEC, Serigne Marmadou Ka, who regretted that elections are no longer won or lost only at the ballot box, noted that they are increasingly shaped by the narratives that circulate in the information space.
He said that the workshop provides a vital platform for regional cooperation and collective learning to ensure that the integrity of elections in West Africa is protected against disinformation and other emerging threats.
Communication Officer, International IDEA, Murkthar Suleiman, said that African elections had increasingly been influenced by the digital information environment for over a decade, adding that digital platforms also pose serious risks when exploited by malign actors.
MEANWHILE, the All Progressives Congress (APC) has expressed delight over its performance in the legislative by-elections conducted by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) on August 16, 2025, across 16 constituencies in 12 states, where the ruling party secured 13 victories.
The party’s National Organising Secretary, Sulaiman Argungu, who addressed journalists yesterday in Abuja, described the victories as remarkable achievements and a reaffirmation of the confidence Nigerians continue to repose in the APC.
