As Nigeria moves towards the 2027 general elections, the country’s democratic process is entering an increasingly complex digital environment. Artificial intelligence, deepfakes, algorithmic amplification, micro-targeted political messaging, and the growing influence of digital platforms are transforming the way citizens receive, interpret, and share political information.
Against this backdrop, the 2026 Annual Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), with the keynote theme “Media, Technology, and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Media Dynamics of Electoral Communication,” comes at a critical moment. A panel will also discuss the theme “From Ballots to Bandwidth: Rethinking Electoral Integrity in the Digital Era,” which complements the keynote. The conference brings together scholars, electoral officials, media professionals, technology experts, civil society actors, and policymakers to examine how emerging technologies are reshaping electoral communication and democratic participation.
In this interview with Odoh Diego Okenyodo for AkweyaTV, Professor Rotimi Olatunji, National President of ACSPN and Professor of Public Relations and Advertising at Lagos State University, discusses the digital threats confronting Nigeria’s 2027 elections and the urgent need to strengthen electoral information integrity.
He speaks about the growing danger posed by AI-generated deepfakes, the challenge of micro-targeted political communication, the need for African evidence to inform regulation, and the responsibility of communication scholars to bridge the gap between research and practice. He also examines how democracies can regulate harmful digital content without undermining legitimate political expression, civic engagement, and voter education.
Professor Olatunji further reflects on the inaugural ACSPN Fellowship Awards, the evolution of communication scholarship in Nigeria, and the association’s ambition to provide intellectual and professional leadership on artificial intelligence, media integrity, democracy, and social cohesion.
