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Okubor To INEC: Introduce Course On How To Lose Election Without Losing Your Mind
Former Commissioner for Information in Delta State, Dr. Festus Goziem Okubor, has warned that Nigerian democracy is under severe pressure from lack of electoral integrity, insecurity and irresponsible use of smartphones and Artificial Intelligence.
Okubor gave the warning while delivering his address as Chairman at the 2026 Annual Conference and 6th Annual Lecture Series of the Delta Online Publishers Forum (DOPF) held in Asaba.
The conference was themed, “Democracy Under Pressure: Electoral Integrity, Security Challenges and Media Accountability in Nigeria.”
Speaking on electoral integrity, Okubor said democracy is not just about holding elections but about holding elections whose outcomes citizens can trust. He said technology like BVAS and IReV cannot cure desperation for power.
“BVAS cannot cure desperation for power! IReV cannot upload character! And no computer can convince a Nigerian politician that losing an election is not the same thing as losing his life,” he said.
He mocked the attitude of some politicians who praise elections when they win and condemn democracy when they lose, noting that some believe in free and fair elections only when they are declared winners.
On security, Okubor said a frightened citizen cannot be a free voter, stressing that security agencies must protect democracy, not determine its beneficiaries.
He jokingly suggested INEC should introduce a compulsory course titled “How to Lose An Election Without Losing Your Mind.”
On the media, Okubor said the smartphone has created instant publishers, warning that journalism is not a phone with a press card.
“Once, becoming a publisher required reporters, editors, printing machines and capital. Today, all you need is a smartphone, data and extraordinary self-confidence,” he said.
He lamented that technology has democratised communication but not truth, noting that lies now fly first class while truth is still brushing its teeth, with many Nigerians forwarding messages with the disclaimer “I don’t know how true this is, but please forward widely.”
He warned that Artificial Intelligence now poses a new threat to electoral credibility through deepfakes capable of causing national panic before elections, urging publishers to embrace verification and media literacy.
Okubor challenged DOPF to champion professional standards including verification, corrections, disclosure of sponsored content and responsible use of AI.
“Let online publishing become a profession of distinction, not merely an occupation for anybody whose phone battery is above 20 per cent,” he said.
He added that politicians, electoral officials, security agencies and journalists must all build trust, which he described as democracy’s most precious currency.
“The phone in your hand can expose corruption, but it can also destroy reputations. The phone is smart. The question is whether the owner is equally smart,” he queried.