The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has come under criticism from opposition groups and other Nigerians following its plan to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) tools into parts of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The opposition to the proposal follows an announcement by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, that the commission had established a dedicated AI division and begun integrating automated tools into its results verification and cybersecurity systems.
Amupitan made the disclosure during a press conference and national stakeholders’ meeting in Abuja held ahead of the 100-day countdown to the first ballot of the 2027 elections.
He said the commission was integrating automated AI auditing tools into its results verification process under a five-pillar AI Governance Framework, with mandatory human oversight. He added that INEC was finalising a policy to guide the technology’s deployment.
The commission is also incorporating AI-driven anomaly detection tools to monitor database traffic and protect its public portals against cyberattacks and unauthorised alterations.
However, the INEC chairman warned that generative AI technology could be exploited to spread election-related misinformation through fabricated videos, cloned voices and forged documents.
“Generative AI, voice cloning and deepfake videos now make it cheap to fabricate the voices of election officials, doctored result sheets and fake letterheads and to spread them faster than they can be verified,” Amupitan said.
He urged media organisations to establish fact-checking desks and verify election-related information with INEC before publication, stressing that accuracy should take precedence over speed in reporting election developments.
The announcement has raised concerns among critics who question the timing of the proposed technology and whether adequate safeguards will be in place before the elections.
The Obidient Movement has rejected the proposed use of AI in results collation, describing the initiative as “reckless and unacceptable” while demanding that the commission abandon the plan.
In a statement issued by its Media and Communications Directorate, the movement argued that INEC should not introduce AI into a sensitive part of the electoral process while its governance policy was still being finalised.
“Nigerians are not guinea pigs for another untested electoral experiment. We reject the use of AI in results collation and demand that INEC immediately abandon the plan,” the movement said.
The group argued that the commission should prioritise public confidence, transparency and accountability, particularly in light of concerns surrounding the credibility of the 2023 general elections.
It also maintained that the problems associated with the previous election were not simply a result of inadequate technology, calling instead for a system that allows election results to be traced from polling units through each stage of collation to the final declaration.
The movement demanded that INEC publish Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D and EC8E on its INEC Result Viewing (IReV) portal, allowing political parties, election observers, journalists and members of the public to independently verify results.
It also questioned the commission’s warning against announcing results that had not been officially released, arguing that the position required greater clarity amid concerns about the proposed AI framework.
The movement said the votes cast by Nigerians must remain verifiable at every stage of the electoral process and called for any technology deployed by INEC to be subjected to independent scrutiny.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC) has also raised concerns about the credibility of the 2027 elections, although its chairman, Senator David Mark, focused his public remarks on the party’s commitment to complying with electoral rules while resisting any attempt to manipulate the process.
Mark spoke on Wednesday during a visit by the Governing Council of the Savannah Centre for Diplomacy, Democracy and Development to the party’s headquarters in Abuja.
He said the ADC would abide by INEC’s rules and its Orange Book, which outlines the party’s principles, but would not accept electoral malpractice.
“We are committed to playing politics in a manner that promotes public confidence in democracy. We hold ourselves to the highest standards of good conduct as a political party. We will play by the rules. But we will not accept rigging or allow ourselves to be rigged out,” Mark said.
The delegation was led by former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Justice Olukayode Ariwoola, who said the visit formed part of the centre’s engagement with political parties and leaders ahead of the elections.
Ariwoola reaffirmed the organisation’s commitment to free, fair and credible elections and urged the ADC leadership to encourage its candidates and members to obey electoral rules and avoid political violence.
Other Nigerians have also criticised INEC’s proposed AI deployment, questioning whether the technology can be adequately tested and regulated before the elections.
Businessman Rowland Osazuwa warned the commission against adopting any process that could undermine confidence in the 2027 polls. He argued that Nigerians wanted an electoral system that would allow them to determine their political future through credible elections.
Osazuwa questioned why INEC would introduce a technology that the commission itself had acknowledged could be exploited to produce convincing fake election materials.
He also expressed concern about the timing of the proposal, arguing that the commission needed to demonstrate that its planned systems were reliable before deploying them during a national election.
Similarly, estate agent My Gilmor Uwandu alleged that the initiative could be used to manipulate the elections, although he did not provide evidence to substantiate the accusation.
Uwandu questioned the commission’s preparedness to deploy AI and argued that the technology should not be introduced without adequate testing and safeguards.
His allegation that INEC intended to rig the election in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) remains an unsubstantiated claim and has not been established as fact.
The concerns come as INEC prepares for the 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for February 20, 2027, followed by governorship and state assembly elections on March 6, 2027. The commission’s published timetable sets out the dates for the two rounds of voting. <Cite refs={[“turn662618search24″,”turn662618search1”]}/>
While critics have demanded that AI be excluded from results collation, Amupitan has said the commission’s planned framework would retain human oversight. INEC has also identified the spread of AI-generated disinformation as a threat to electoral credibility.
The key issue now is whether the commission will publish sufficient details about the technology, its intended uses, testing procedures and independent audit mechanisms to address public concerns before the elections.
INEC has not been reported as announcing a withdrawal of its AI plan in response to the criticism.
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