..,Urge Faith-Based Groups to Promote Peaceful Elections

From Yagana Ali, Yola

Religious leaders in Adamawa State have called on faith-based organization and their followers to resist the spread of fake news, misinformation and disinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections, warning that the reckless circulation of unverified information could threaten peace, deepen divisions and undermine peaceful coexistence.

The clerics made the call during a two-day capacity-building workshop organized by Alkalanci, a non-governmental organization, in Yola, where participants were urged to use their religious influence and community platforms to promote truth, tolerance, responsible communication and national unity.

The Chairman of the Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN), Adamawa State chapter, Rev. Joel Manzo, said religious leaders had a critical responsibility to guide their followers against the dangers of false information, particularly at a time when political activities and public debates surrounding the 2027 elections were gradually gathering momentum.

Manzo observed that the increasing spread of unverified information, especially through social media, had continued to create unnecessary confusion, suspicion and misunderstanding among individuals and communities.

He stressed that religious leaders must exercise caution in their public statements and ensure that information shared from their pulpits, worship centres and digital platforms was properly verified before being passed on to their followers.

“Most of the information shared are not verified, and such information causes confusion and misunderstanding among us,” he said.

The CAN chairman urged participants to take the training seriously and ensure that the knowledge acquired was extended to their respective communities, noting that the responsibility of promoting peace and responsible communication should not end with the workshop.

He encouraged religious leaders to use their positions of trust and influence to promote truth, reconciliation, mutual respect and peaceful coexistence, rather than allowing their platforms to become channels for spreading divisive narratives.

According to him, responsible information sharing is not merely a civic obligation but also a religious responsibility, as the teachings of faith emphasize truthfulness, honesty and the rejection of falsehood.

Similarly, the State Secretary of Jama’atul Nasril Islam (JNI), Adamawa State chapter, Malam Bappare Umar, described the training as timely and necessary, considering the state’s diverse ethnic, religious and cultural composition.

Umar said Adamawa’s diversity made it particularly important for religious and traditional leaders to be equipped with the skills required to identify misleading information and prevent the circulation of messages capable of creating tension or triggering conflicts between communities.

He noted that religious leaders remained influential voices at the grassroots level and could play a significant role in calming tensions, correcting false narratives and strengthening relationships among people of different religious and ethnic backgrounds.

He also called on media practitioners and information activists to support efforts to educate non-professional social media users on the importance of responsible information dissemination, stressing that everyone had a role to play in ensuring that the information environment remained safe and constructive.

Earlier, the Programme Manager of Alkalanci, Ms Victoria Bamas, said the organization initiated the training to strengthen the capacity of religious leaders to use their respected positions in society to confront the growing challenge of fake news, misinformation and disinformation.

Bamas explained that the organization recognised the enormous influence religious leaders wield within their communities and considered them important partners in building resistance against false information.

She said the decision to engage faith-based groups followed observations that misleading information was spreading across communities and digital platforms at a pace that often exceeded the ability of fact-checkers to verify and correct it.

“We are adopting a train-the-trainer approach, targeting religious leaders because of their influence, credibility and close relationships with grassroots communities,” she said.

According to her, participants were expected to take the lessons beyond the training venue and serve as information ambassadors in their various communities by encouraging critical thinking, verification of information and responsible use of social media.

Bamas also identified the monetisation of false information as an emerging challenge, explaining that some individuals deliberately circulate sensational, misleading and provocative content to attract online attention and generate financial benefits.

She noted that incentives associated with online visibility, advertising revenue and digital exposure had further encouraged the spread of misinformation and propaganda, making it increasingly difficult to distinguish credible information from fabricated narratives.

The programme manager disclosed that the organization was training 20 religious leaders in Adamawa State through smaller, interactive sessions designed to encourage active participation, practical learning and effective knowledge transfer.

The two-day workshop, themed “Scaling Faith-Based Resilience Against Disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI),” was funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office and ISF West Africa.

The initiative is expected to strengthen the capacity of faith-based leaders to identify and counter misleading information while promoting a more peaceful, informed and united society as Adamawa State and the country prepare for the 2027 general elections.

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