The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has declared that artificial intelligence (AI) will not be allowed to determine the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, warning that deepfakes, fabricated audio and coordinated disinformation pose growing threats to electoral credibility.
Drivetvnews gathered that Amupitan made the declaration on Wednesday at the AI and Democracy Forum 2026, organised by YIAGA Africa and its partners in Abuja. He said INEC would use technology to improve electoral processes without handing critical decisions to automated systems.
“Algorithms will not and must never decide the 2027 votes,” he declared, stressing that election outcomes must be determined within Nigeria’s legally established electoral framework.
The INEC chairman warned that the greatest threat AI poses to elections might not be the hacking of ballot boxes or electoral databases, but the manipulation of voters through false information intended to distort their understanding of candidates, political issues and election results.
“The greatest threats to our democracy is not hacking of ballot boxes, but the hacking of voters’ minds,” he said.
Amupitan identified deepfake videos, synthetic audio, fabricated endorsements, manipulated footage and automated disinformation campaigns as emerging dangers capable of misleading voters, damaging candidates’ reputations and undermining public confidence in election results.
He noted that the increasing speed and sophistication of AI-generated content had made it more difficult for citizens to distinguish genuine political communication from deliberately manufactured falsehoods.
INEC Establishes AI Unit
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had established an AI unit within its Information and Communications Technology department and was finalising an AI governance framework in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), with support from the British High Commission.
He added that the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) had validated guidelines for the responsible use of AI in elections.
According to him, critical electoral activities, including results collation, voter accreditation and candidate qualification, would not be fully automated or delegated to AI systems.
He maintained that human oversight, statutory procedures, judicial review and public scrutiny would remain central to election administration.
“AI must support the process, not replace the judgment and accountability required by law,” he said.
AI to Support Logistics and Electoral Audits
The INEC chairman said the commission was exploring the use of AI for predictive logistics, including analysing road networks, traffic conditions, weather forecasts and security information to improve the movement of election materials and personnel.
He explained that the technology could also help audit accreditation and results data, identify mathematical inconsistencies, detect unusual entries on result sheets and flag poor-quality images for further examination.
Other potential applications include biometric checks for duplicate voter registrations, multilingual voter education and the detection of cyber threats targeting electoral infrastructure.
However, Amupitan warned that these benefits would depend on adequate safeguards against algorithmic bias, digital exclusion, cyberattacks and the misuse of personal data.
INEC Seeks Collaboration Against Election Disinformation
Amupitan said protecting the 2027 elections would require coordinated efforts involving political parties, technology companies, security agencies, the media, civil society organisations and the judiciary.
He urged political parties and candidates to voluntarily adopt an ethical code prohibiting the use of deepfakes, synthetic impersonation and deceptive automated accounts to mislead voters or discredit opponents.
He also called on digital platforms, including Meta, X, Google, TikTok, Telegram and Microsoft, to strengthen measures for identifying and labelling synthetic political content, provide clear disclaimers for political advertisements and curb manipulative targeting based on sensitive characteristics such as ethnicity and religion.
The INEC chairman proposed the establishment of an Electoral Information Integrity Coalition comprising the commission, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigerian Fact-Checking Coalition, media organisations and telecommunications operators.
He said the proposed coalition would help identify, verify and counter electoral falsehoods in real time, particularly during campaigns and on election days.
Amupitan added that digital watermarking, content credentials and deepfake-detection tools could help establish the authenticity of digital materials, while public education would encourage voters to scrutinise suspicious claims before sharing them.
He said INEC was working with the National Orientation Agency, civil society groups and the media to improve digital literacy and incorporate AI awareness into voter education.
Old Video Used to Mislead Voters
Amupitan cited a misleading video circulated during an election in the Federal Capital Territory, which purportedly showed members of the National Youth Service Corps being attacked.
According to him, investigations established that the footage dated back to 2011 and was unrelated to the election in question.
He said the incident demonstrated how old footage could be repackaged as breaking news to frighten voters, discourage participation and create a false impression of insecurity.
He called on security agencies to strengthen their capacity for cybercrime investigations, digital forensics and the tracking of coordinated online threats.
He also urged the judiciary to prepare for disputes involving AI-generated evidence and synthetic media, while encouraging media organisations to develop their digital forensic capabilities.
INEC Updates Preparations for 2027 Elections
On preparations for the 2027 general elections, Amupitan said INEC was working to deliver credible polls for Nigeria’s 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units in 774 local government areas.
He disclosed that 10 of the 14 major activities on the electoral timetable had been completed under the Electoral Act 2026.
The commission had also procured additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines, while its candidate nomination portal had processed more than 15,000 nominations across 22 political parties.
He highlighted improvements in online voter registration and the decentralised collection of Permanent Voter Cards. He also mentioned the testing of downloadable voter card technology during the Osun governorship election for voters whose cards were lost or damaged.
According to Amupitan, reports from civil society organisations and election observers indicated improvements in the early deployment of personnel and the commencement of voting in recent elections. He attributed some of the progress to predictive and geospatial planning.
The chairman also announced that INEC had introduced a campus debate initiative to encourage young Nigerians to engage with issues surrounding elections, democracy and electoral integrity. The programme’s finale is scheduled for November 3 in Abuja.
Amupitan urged political actors to resist exploiting AI-generated content for electoral advantage, warning that disinformation could deepen divisions and erode confidence in democratic institutions.
He stressed that safeguarding the 2027 elections would require more than sophisticated technology, as the credibility of the process would depend on transparency, accountability and voters’ ability to make informed decisions.
He reiterated that AI should serve as a tool for improving electoral administration rather than manipulating public opinion or determining election outcomes, insisting that the final decision must rest with Nigerian voters.
