Guidelines for online media accreditation for the 2027 General Election

1.Introduction

The media plays a vital role in the electoral process by providing timely, accurate and impartial coverage of the Commission's activities. To ensure orderly and effective media coverage of the 2027 General Election, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) requires media organisations and journalists seeking to cover the election to obtain accreditation.

The INEC Online Media Accreditation Portal provides a platform for media organisations to register and submit accreditation applications for their personnel. It enables the Commission to process applications and verify applicants' eligibility efficiently and transparently.

These guidelines set out the eligibility criteria, application procedures, documentation requirements and other conditions for media accreditation. All applicants are expected to comply with the Commission's requirements to facilitate professional, responsible and effective election coverage.

2.Application for accreditation

Media organisations interested in deploying journalists to cover the 2027 General Election shall apply online to the Commission via https://imap.inecnigeria.org.

The portal will close on Monday, 30 November 2026.

3.Liaison personnel

To ensure smooth accreditation, each media organisation is required to assign a liaison officer to coordinate the accreditation of its nominees. The liaison officer will complete the online application forms on behalf of the media organisation and its personnel, as the case may be, for the processing of applications.

4.Requirements for accreditation

The liaison officer of the media organisation is required to upload the following:

1. (a)The organisation's official logo;
2. (b)A duly signed letter of introduction on the organisation's letterhead, stating the names and roles of all personnel;
3. (c)A clear and recent passport photograph of each personnel;
4. (d)Valid official work Identity cards of each personnel (scanned);
5. (e)Website address with evidence of regular posts within the 90 days preceding the date of application;
6. (f)Scanned copies of at least three recent editions of their publications (optional; print media organisations may be required to provide these).

Please note: All documents must be submitted electronically through the online media portal. Hard-copy submissions will not be accepted.

5.Deadline for submission of applications

The submission of all applications and documents for accreditation for the 2027 General Election will end at 12 midnight on Monday, 30 November 2026.

NB: Late submissions will not be accepted, as the online portal will close automatically at the expiration of the deadline.

6.Collection of tags

1. (a)Journalists and media organisations whose applications are successful will collect their media accreditation tags at designated centres in the various states. In the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), collection will be at the INEC FCT Office, Area 10, Garki, Abuja.
2. (b)Collection of media accreditation tags will commence on Monday, 11 January 2027 and end on Friday, 15 January 2027, from 9:00 am to 4:00 pm daily, at the designated venues.

7.Access to collation centres

While all accredited journalists may access polling units to cover the election, access to collation centres will be restricted because of space limitations and safety considerations. Accordingly, INEC will permit only:

1. (a)one (1) accredited representative from selected radio stations and newspaper organisations; and
2. (b)two (2) accredited representatives from selected television stations, comprising a reporter and a cameraman.

Where necessary, additional access slots may be allocated to media organisations deploying Outside Broadcast (OB) facilities at collation centres, subject to INEC's approval and available space.

Access to the National Collation Centre in Abuja, for the collation of results of the Presidential Election, will be subject to a special arrangement. Media organisations selected for access will be contacted directly by the Commission on the process.

8.Responsibilities of accredited media organisations and journalists on Election Day

Accredited media organisations and personnel covering the election shall:

1. (a)Display the identification tags issued by the Commission conspicuously at all times on Election Day and present them for verification when required;
2. (b)Be present at polling units from the opening of the poll and cover all stages of the electoral process, including voter accreditation, voting and the counting of ballot papers, without interfering with proceedings or compromising the secrecy of the ballot;
3. (c)Move only within authorised areas of the polling environment and interview voters, observers and other persons, provided such activities do not obstruct voting or the duties of election officials;
4. (d)Cover the deployment of sensitive election materials to Registration Area Centres (RACs) and polling units without interfering with the process;
5. (e)Comply with applicable electoral laws, INEC regulations and guidelines, and the Media Code of Conduct for Election Coverage;
6. (f)Report election-related events accurately, impartially and responsibly; verify information before publication or broadcast; and refrain from disseminating false information, unverified results, or content capable of inciting violence or undermining public trust. Note that official channels for information verification remain the Commission's official website (www.inecnigeria.org), verified social media handles @INECnigeria, and the INEC Citizens Contact Centre (ICCC).
7. (g)Respect the privacy, dignity and rights of voters, election officials, candidates and other electoral stakeholders;
8. (h)Cover counting and collation procedures without handling electoral materials, interfering with election officials, or exceeding the access permitted by their accreditation;
9. (i)Maintain professional conduct, comply with lawful directives issued by authorised election officials and security personnel, and observe applicable safety and security protocols; and
10. (j)Uphold the ethics of the journalism profession and ensure the responsible use of photographs, videos, social media and other reporting platforms.

Non-compliance with these requirements may result in the suspension or revocation of media accreditation, in accordance with applicable laws and INEC regulations and guidelines.

9.Prohibited conduct

Accredited journalists and allied media personnel shall not:

1. (a)Film or photograph any person within the polling zone without that person's consent, subject to applicable laws and INEC guidelines;
2. (b)Film or photograph any voter marking a ballot paper, or engage in any activity that compromises the secrecy of the ballot;
3. (c)Film, photograph, copy or reproduce the Register of Voters, voter cards or any other document in a manner that violates voters' privacy or exposes their personal information; or
4. (d)Handle ballot papers, ballot boxes, result sheets or any other electoral materials, unless expressly authorised by law.

10.General notes

1. (a)INEC reserves the right to withhold accreditation from any media organisation or journalist whose professional identity cannot be verified.
2. (b)There shall be no manual accreditation.
3. (c)Only accredited media organisations and personnel will be allowed free movement or access to polling units, collation centres or any INEC office facility.
4. (d)Accreditation tags will serve as a pass for the 2027 General Election, scheduled to hold on Saturday, 16 January 2027 and Saturday, 6 February 2027.
5. (e)Applications, once filled and submitted, cannot be reversed.

11.The accreditation process

The accreditation process has five steps, all of which must be completed before an application can be successful.

1. Step 1: Register organisation

   For fresh applicants only. Returning applicants should log in with their existing email and password and proceed to Step 2.

   1. (a)Confirm email verification.
   2. (b)Log in to complete profile information.

2. Step 2: Application management

   1. (a)Select the election being applied for.
   2. (b)Upload the application letter containing the staff list.
   3. (c)Enter the number of proposed staff.
   4. (d)Select the location(s) of coverage.

3. Step 3: Personnel management

   Returning organisations may skip this step, except where they are adding new personnel whose particulars were not uploaded for previous elections.

   1. (a)Add personnel information.
   2. (b)Upload each personnel's work ID.
   3. (c)Upload each personnel's passport photograph.

4. Step 4: Personnel nomination

   Only approved applications can proceed to this step.

   Nominate field and collation staff, where applicable.

5. Step 5: Submit

   Click the Finish Nomination button. This is very important.

12.Technical support

Applicants who encounter any difficulty with the portal during the accreditation process may contact the technical support staff by phone or email.