EU Ambassador Mignot Warns Disinformation Can Undermine Elections Without Altering Ballots

The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria, Gautier Mignot, has warned that elections can be undermined through disinformation and false information even when no ballot is physically tampered with.

Mignot made the remarks while speaking at the Beyond the Ballot event on Monday, where he highlighted the growing threat posed by misleading information to electoral processes and public confidence.

According to him, fabricated announcements could mislead voters into going to the wrong polling locations, while false claims about election results could fuel suspicion and distrust before verified information reaches the public.

“An election can be undermined without a single ballot being altered,” Mignot said, stressing that the immediate target of such information manipulation is the public’s access to accurate information, while the deeper objective is to erode trust in the electoral process.

He called attention to the need for greater vigilance against disinformation, particularly during elections, when the rapid spread of unverified claims can influence voters and create uncertainty around legitimate electoral outcomes.