2027 ELECTIONS: AI NOT A THREAT TO DEMOCRACY, AMUPITAN INSISTS
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By ‘Balogun Ibrahim
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has defended the proposed use of artificial intelligence in election management, insisting that the technology is not a threat to democracy despite the risks of misuse by malicious actors.
Amupitan said AI could enhance electoral administration through more efficient voter registration, logistics planning, data analysis and the management of large voter databases. However, he warned that advances in generative AI had made it easier to produce deceptive content capable of eroding public confidence in elections.
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The INEC chairman spoke on Monday at The Beyond the Ballot Summit in Abuja, where he noted that electoral management bodies across the world were increasingly adopting AI-assisted processes to improve administrative efficiency and strengthen election planning.
“Artificial Intelligence, AI, is not an enemy of democracy,” he said.
He, however, raised concerns about the widespread availability of generative AI tools, warning that malicious actors could exploit them to manipulate voters and circulate false information during elections.
Amupitan said technologies capable of cloning the voices of public figures and creating highly realistic videos of electoral officials making false announcements were now accessible at relatively low costs.
The remarks come as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 general election, with the commission recently announcing plans to incorporate artificial intelligence into Nigeria’s electoral system.
The growing adoption of AI in elections has raised concerns about fabricated announcements, manipulated audio recordings and realistic videos that could mislead voters, impersonate public officials and disrupt electoral activities.
Although AI offers opportunities to improve the efficiency of election administration, its misuse could threaten electoral integrity, particularly as misinformation spreads rapidly across social media platforms.
INEC’s proposed adoption of the technology has therefore renewed calls for adequate safeguards to prevent digital manipulation, impersonation and the spread of false information.
The commission has maintained that its use of AI will be guided by the need to strengthen the credibility, transparency and efficiency of the electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
Concerns over AI-generated content in the electoral system intensified recently following the discovery of questionable photographs, suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence, in INEC’s preliminary Register of Voters.
The images appeared in some voter records in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, raising questions about the integrity of the voter database and the procedures for capturing and verifying registration information.
INEC acknowledged the questionable records and announced an investigation into the circumstances surrounding their appearance.
The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, said some of the AI-generated images were linked to irregularities allegedly introduced by registration officers with access to the system.
INEC has stressed that the register remains preliminary and will undergo verification, data cleaning and corrections before the final version is certified.
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