November 9, (THEWILL) – More than a week after INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, admitted publicly that its officials imputed fake, AI-generated names and materials into the register, critical stakeholders have continued to demand accountability from the Commission as a way to assure the public that the 2027 general poll has not been rigged in advance. The silence of the Commission over the steps being taken to remedy the situation has further created distrust among politically discerning Nigerians.
On occasions when the National Chairman of INEC, Prof. Joash Amupitan, was expected to address the issue, mum has been the word. He in fact fueled public doubts when he recently said there was nothing wrong with using AI.
“Artificial Intelligence is not the enemy of democracy,” he said at “The Beyond the Ballot Summit,” in Abuja, last Monday, tactically sidestepping the brewing controversy involving his Commission.
Then, over the weekend, he canvassed support from relevant stakeholders towards the smooth conduct of transparent and credible elections in 2027 and expressed commitment to strengthening its operational capacity through infrastructural upgrades and the provision of modern technological tools to ensure seamless electoral processes.
In Kogi State, where he brought to a close his evaluation tour of the six geo-political zones to assess logistics, infrastructure and personnel, he insisted on the commission’s readiness to organise and supervise a visible, verifiable, credible, free and fair election in line with its mandate under Section 153 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended). Not a word was mentioned about the compromised voter register, which the Commission is still busy cleaning up with the December 15 deadline in mind. Stakeholders are calling for due process and accountability
“It was an important step that INEC took to respond to the reports about the irregularities and fake details in the voter register because a prolonged silence on the issue would have created more doubt on the credibility of the voter register. However, as an institution, INEC has a responsibility to safeguard the integrity of the process, which includes the voter registration process,” Director of Programmes at Yiaga Africa told THEWILL in a brief interview, adding that “fictitious voters in the register are an indication of a compromised process of voter registration.
Yiaga Africa’s expectation is that INEC conducts a thorough investigation into this issue, prosecutes compromised officials, and ensures it provides detailed information to the public on the steps the commission is taking to clean up the register ahead of the election. Nigerians want answers and clear communication on these steps by INEC. The credibility of the 2027 elections begins with the credibility of the voter’s register.”
She explained that, from experience, YA had launched the Election Manipulation Risk Index (EMRI) ahead of the 2023 general election as an evidence-based tool designed to curb election manipulation and facilitate citizens’ oversight over the electoral process.
The EMRI, according to her, had 6 variables: Tampering of the Voter Register was one of the variables because of the pattern of manipulation observed in the process. The indicators for this variable include: the inclusion of fictitious names in the register, registration of unqualified persons, because these indicators represented a form of manipulation of the election.
“EMRI recorded incidents of tampering with the voter register in some states ahead of the 2023 elections. Yiaga Africa is currently deploying EMRI for the 2027 elections and documenting its findings in line with the variables tracked. With the current political context for the 2027 election, EMRI is tracking 8 major variables. Tampering with the Voter Register remains a variable, and we are currently documenting incidents and reports of the inclusion of fictitious names in the register as one of the indicators. The findings will be made public to inform citizens’ oversight.”
Accordingly, she urged the Commission to conduct an independent computer -based audit of the voter register as a means of rebuilding citizens’ trust. I
“NEC owes Nigerians the responsibility of ensuring the integrity of the voter register. As a matter of urgency, INEC must ensure that the register is cleaned up ahead of the election; this includes working round the clock to meet the deadline,” she said.
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She argued that the officials of the Commission found to have been involved in generating the fake IA register must be identified and prosecuted as provided for in the Electoral Act 2026, especially in sections 23, 26, 118 and 124 which provide for offences relating to voter registration, misconduct and dereliction of duty. “Yiaga Africa stands with the call from Nigerians for officials who are responsible for the irregularities in the voter register to be prosecuted in line with the Act and also in line with INEC’s disciplinary process,” she added.
For former Minister of Education, Oby Ezekwesili, the AI disaster makes INEC unfit for the conduct of a free, fair and credible election in 2027.
She said, “Let us be clear about what this is. This is not a hack from outside. This is not a glitch. This is sabotage from within the very institution to which the Nigerian people entrusted the register of our sovereignty. The people paid to protect the list of citizens manufactured phantom citizens. The 2027 general election is now a matter of months away, and the foundational document of those elections has been admitted by its custodian to be compromised.”
According to her, the AI fiasco is self-inflicted, meaning that to correct it, the Electoral Commission must give way to what she called a caretaker rescue team of independent citizens to rescue the battered image of the Commission.
“INEC cannot investigate INEC. Impossible. No institution that has just confessed to corrupting a national asset from within can then ask the nation to trust it alone to repair the damage. It is a principle of accountability so basic that we apply it to everyday contexts. The accused does not sit as judge. The staff who held the credentials, the supervisors who approved their access, the ICT department that built the platform with the loophole they exploited and the Commission that certified the display of that register all now have an interest in the size of this scandal being declared small”, She said.
A former Director of Legal Services, Voter Publicity and Education, Oluwole Osaze Uzi urged the Commission to give the public a verifiable timeline for the cleaning of the violated register and then identify the officials involved in the AI registration and prosecute them. Otherwise, she maintained, Nigerians would rightly conclude that INEC has already rigged the 2027 general poll.
“A compromised register cannot guarantee you a free poll, no matter how good the logistics and the electoral processes are. The officers who compiled the fictitious names using AI. They must be punished for a serious breach of the law.”
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.
