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INEC says Nigerians’ votes, not artificial intelligence or algorithms, will determine the outcome of the 2027 General Elections
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Commission warns deepfakes and synthetic media could manipulate voters by making fabricated political content appear genuine
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Specialised AI Unit established to detect digital threats and information manipulation targeting the electoral process
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INEC seeks Ethical AI Code for political parties and multi-stakeholder coalition to counter election disinformation
October 14, (THEWILL) – The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that artificial intelligence and algorithms will not determine the outcome of the 2027 General Elections, warning, however, that deepfakes and other AI-generated falsehoods pose a serious threat to voters’ ability to make informed electoral choices.
Chairman of the commission, Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, gave the assurance at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, declaring that the sovereign choice of Nigerians, expressed through their votes, would remain the ultimate determinant of who governs the country.
Amupitan, who spoke at the forum themed, “Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” said INEC would embrace technology to improve election administration but would not surrender critical electoral decisions to machines.
“Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote. The choice of who leads Nigeria belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people.
“Algorithms may predict patterns; they may optimise routes, and they may even suggest preferences. But they do not have a conscience, they do not have a country, and they do not have a vote,” he said.
The forum, co-convened by INEC and Yiaga Africa, brought together election managers, political parties, diplomats, civil society organisations, security agencies, international development partners, media executives, technology companies and academics to examine the opportunities and dangers presented by rapidly advancing artificial intelligence ahead of the elections.
Also participating was the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions and Chairman of Senegal’s Electoral Commission, Abdoulaye Sylla.
AI Will Shape Electoral Environment
With exactly 92 days to the General Elections, Amupitan acknowledged that although AI would not determine election results, its growing influence could significantly shape the environment in which Nigerians make their electoral choices.
He said emerging technologies would affect the dissemination of political information, electoral logistics and the methods available both to legitimate democratic actors and those seeking to disrupt the process.
“While algorithms will not decide the vote, AI will undeniably shape the information environment in which citizens form their choices, influence the speed and security of electoral logistics, and alter the tactics of both democratic actors and anti-democratic disruptors,” he said.
According to the INEC Chairman, the 2027 General Election will be the largest democratic exercise on the African continent and one of the world’s most complex electoral operations.
More than 103 million registered voters are expected to participate across 176,846 polling units spread over Nigeria’s 774 Local Government Areas, with elections covering the presidency, National Assembly, governorship and State Houses of Assembly.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had already completed 10 of the 14 major operational milestones stipulated under the Electoral Act 2026.
The Commission, he said, had procured additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) machines and digitised the nomination process through the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal, which processed more than 15,000 nominations submitted by 22 political parties.
INEC has also introduced online voter registration as part of the increasing deployment of digital technology in election administration.
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Deepfakes Could ‘Hack Voters’ Minds’
The INEC Chairman said the more immediate danger was the potential deployment of artificial intelligence to manipulate the information available to voters.
He identified generative AI, deepfakes, synthetic media, micro-targeting, dark advertisements, algorithmic bias and automated cyberattacks as emerging threats capable of undermining electoral integrity.
“The greatest threat we face is not the hacking of a ballot box, but the hacking of the voter’s mind. If a voter cannot distinguish between truth and a synthetic lie, the foundation of informed consent crumbles,” Amupitan warned.
Deepfake technology can produce highly convincing but fabricated video, audio and images, raising the prospect that political actors or other interests could manufacture statements and events and falsely attribute them to candidates, election officials or other public figures.
The rapid spread of such content through social media and digital communication platforms could make verification difficult, particularly during sensitive periods immediately before or during an election.
Amupitan said INEC would enforce what he described as the Human Oversight Principle, ensuring that machines do not independently take decisions capable of determining electoral outcomes or the rights of candidates and voters.
He stressed that critical functions involving result collation, voter accreditation and candidate qualification would not be fully automated or handed over to autonomous systems.
“Human accountability, statutory oversight, and judicial review will remain paramount at every stage of the electoral chain,” he said.
Specialised AI Unit Established
Amupitan announced that INEC had established a specialised AI Unit within its Information and Communications Technology Directorate as part of preparations to confront the emerging threats.
According to him, the unit is equipped with real-time digital monitoring tools, deepfake detection software and data analytics expertise to identify technical threats and information manipulation targeting the electoral process.
But he stressed that protecting the integrity of the election would require a coordinated response beyond INEC.
The Chairman called on political parties to subscribe to an Ethical AI Code of Conduct, while civil society organisations should scrutinise algorithmic transparency and monitor digital campaign expenditure.
He also urged security agencies and the judiciary to develop specialised capacity in cybercrime investigation and digital forensics.
Media organisations, Amupitan said, should establish internal digital forensic desks capable of verifying user-generated photographs, audio and video before publication or broadcast, particularly as political campaigns intensify.
INEC Proposes Electoral Information Integrity Coalition
To strengthen the response to AI-driven misinformation, the INEC Chairman proposed an Electoral Information Integrity Coalition comprising the Commission, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Fact-Checking Coalition, media organisations and telecommunications operators.
The proposed coalition would serve as an early-warning mechanism for identifying and responding to viral AI-generated falsehoods before they cause widespread damage to public confidence or the electoral process.
The initiative forms part of INEC’s broader attempt to adapt election safeguards to an information environment in which fabricated political material can be created cheaply and distributed to millions of people within minutes.
‘Nigerians Will Decide’
Returning to the central question of who ultimately determines the election, Amupitan said neither sophisticated algorithms nor emerging AI systems could replace the constitutional role of Nigerian voters.
He illustrated that sovereignty rests with Nigerians from different occupations and parts of the country — the market woman in Aba, farmer in Sokoto, teacher in Ibadan, technology innovator in Yaba, fisherman in Bayelsa and student in Maiduguri.
“On election day in 2027, it will be the thumbprint of the Nigerian citizen, guided by their own will and their own hopes, that decides our future. INEC’s job is to ensure that the voice of the people is heard clearly, above the noise of the machines,” he said.
Amupitan maintained that the future of democracy should not be determined merely by what technology is capable of doing, but by the limits that citizens, laws and democratic institutions place on its use.
For the Commission, he said, that principle will guide the 2027 elections: AI may assist election administration, but Nigerians — not machines — will decide who governs them.
Felix Ifijeh is a journalist with years of professional reporting experience. Known for his keen news sense, compelling storytelling and commitment to accurate, impactful reporting, he has built a reputation for turning leads into clear, engaging, and well-structured reports that resonate with readers. His work reflects deep newsroom experience and a commitment to accurate, impactful journalism.
