INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan says Nigerians alone will decide who governs the country, as the electoral commission unveils plans to use artificial intelligence to improve election logistics, detect irregularities and protect the voting process against digital manipulation.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that artificial intelligence will not determine the winners of the 2027 general elections, insisting that voters must retain exclusive authority to choose their political leaders. INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, made the declaration on Wednesday, October 14, 2026, during the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum in Abuja, where electoral officials, technology companies and civil society organisations examined the opportunities and dangers associated with using AI in elections. Amupitan explained that although the commission intends to use advanced technology to improve election administration, security and the detection of irregularities, algorithms would not replace voters or legally established procedures for declaring results. His assurances come as preparations intensify for the presidential and National Assembly elections scheduled for January 16, 2027, amid growing concerns about misinformation, manipulated political content and public confidence in Nigeria’s electoral system.
The two-day forum, themed Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, was organised by Yiaga Africa in collaboration with INEC and several development and technology partners. Participants included representatives of electoral management bodies from Senegal, Kenya, The Gambia, Liberia, Sierra Leone and Togo, alongside Nigerian security agencies, journalists, researchers, political stakeholders and technology specialists. Discussions focused on how AI could improve election administration while creating new opportunities for misinformation, cyberattacks and manipulation of public opinion. Amupitan described the approaching elections as a major democratic undertaking requiring careful planning, transparency and technological safeguards. According to INEC, Nigeria has more than 103 million registered voters distributed across 176,846 polling units in 774 local government areas, creating substantial logistical challenges for an electoral commission responsible for conducting voting across cities, remote communities and areas affected by insecurity.
Addressing concerns that artificial intelligence could influence electoral outcomes, Amupitan emphasised that technology must remain subordinate to the democratic will of Nigerians. “Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote,” he declared, explaining that the authority to choose national leaders belongs exclusively to citizens exercising their voting rights. He acknowledged that AI could influence the information available to voters, improve logistics and change how political actors communicate with the electorate, but insisted that those developments must not compromise democratic accountability. The chairman urged election administrators, political parties, technology companies and civil society organisations to work together to prevent digital tools from undermining electoral integrity. He also cautioned that installing advanced technology would not automatically guarantee credible elections, stressing that the honesty, competence and accountability of officials managing electoral systems remained equally important.
The Independent National Electoral Commission headquarters in Abuja. INEC is developing guidelines for the responsible use of artificial intelligence in election administration.
Amupitan outlined several areas where artificial intelligence could support the commission’s operations without replacing human decision-making. These include analysing traffic conditions, weather forecasts, road networks and security information to identify suitable routes for distributing election materials. AI systems could also help predict shortages, monitor warehouse supplies and identify logistical difficulties before they disrupt polling. The chairman cited Kabi Ward in Kuje Area Council of the Federal Capital Territory, where difficult terrain and limited mobile network coverage can complicate the transportation of personnel and materials. He also explained that automated systems could identify mathematical inconsistencies, unusual voting patterns and poor-quality images in uploaded polling unit results. Such checks would serve as warnings requiring human verification rather than automatically determining which votes are valid or which candidates have won. The commission has also established a specialised AI unit within its Information and Communication Technology Department to coordinate research, implementation and oversight.
For ordinary Nigerian voters, the proposed use of artificial intelligence raises important questions about transparency, trust and protection against misinformation. In rural communities, voters often face delayed arrival of election materials, transportation difficulties and limited communication infrastructure, challenges that better logistical planning could help address. Young Nigerians who obtain political information through social media face a different risk as AI generated photographs, voice recordings and videos become increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic material. Fabricated statements attributed to political candidates or electoral officials could spread rapidly, potentially misleading voters before corrections become widely available. During previous elections, citizens expressed frustration over delayed results and conflicting information circulating online, contributing to demands for more transparent procedures. Although no independently verified interviews with individual voters responding specifically to Amupitan’s October 14 remarks were available, these established concerns demonstrate why public education, accurate information and independent scrutiny will be important ahead of the elections.
Nigerian voters waiting for accreditation during an election. Digital identification and results management have become important elements of the country’s electoral process.
Nigeria’s latest debate over artificial intelligence is closely connected to the technological challenges that emerged during the February 25, 2023, presidential election. That election saw INEC deploy the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), which verifies voters through biometric identification, alongside the INEC Result Viewing Portal, designed to make uploaded polling unit results accessible for public scrutiny. However, delays in uploading presidential election results generated widespread criticism and raised questions about the reliability of the commission’s technological arrangements. INEC subsequently acknowledged technical difficulties affecting the transmission of presidential results, while opposition parties challenged aspects of the election before the courts. The Supreme Court ultimately upheld President Bola Tinubu’s election in October 2023. The experience demonstrated that introducing technology does not automatically resolve concerns about electoral credibility, particularly when technical failures, communication gaps and inadequate public explanations weaken confidence. It also explains why INEC is facing renewed demands for transparent testing and reliable backup procedures before the 2027 elections.
The growing sophistication of artificial intelligence introduces risks that extend beyond the technical administration of elections. Generative AI systems can produce convincing videos, photographs and audio recordings that appear to show political figures making statements they never made. Such material, commonly described as deepfakes, can be used to spread false information, impersonate election officials or inflame existing political divisions. Amupitan warned in August 2026 that AI-driven disinformation posed a serious threat to electoral credibility, particularly because manipulated content can now be produced and distributed at relatively low cost. The risks are especially significant in a country with a large and politically active online population, where misleading information can spread quickly through messaging applications and social media platforms. Electoral observers have therefore called for stronger digital literacy campaigns, prompt correction of false claims, transparent political advertising and cooperation with technology companies. Any restrictions on online content, however, must also protect legitimate political expression and public debate.
Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, raised concerns about the increasing number of organisations developing AI-powered platforms to collect, analyse and present election results ahead of 2027. He acknowledged that independent election monitoring can strengthen accountability but warned that automated results aggregation must be accurate, transparent and open to scrutiny. Itodo emphasised that only INEC possesses the legal authority to declare official election results and winners, while civil society organisations and other independent observers can analyse publicly available information without assuming the commission’s statutory responsibilities. The distinction is important because automated platforms could publish misleading conclusions if they rely on incomplete data, inaccurate images or flawed calculations. Amupitan also disclosed that INEC was developing an AI governance framework with support from the International Foundation for Electoral Systems and other partners. The proposed framework is expected to address transparency, human supervision, auditing and accountability, although the commission has not yet demonstrated how all these safeguards will operate during the general elections.
Preparations for the polls are continuing as the electoral commission works to integrate technological improvements into its existing administrative structure. Amupitan disclosed that INEC’s digital candidate nomination platform had processed more than 15,000 nominations from 22 political parties ahead of the elections. The commission has also expanded online voter registration services and experimented with downloadable voter cards for eligible voters who could not obtain replacement physical cards before certain elections. Alongside these measures, AI-assisted biometric systems are being considered to improve the detection of duplicate voter records, while automated checks could help officials identify possible errors in uploaded results. However, these applications require reliable data, effective cybersecurity and safeguards against mistaken identification. Election officials must also account for areas with poor electricity supply, limited internet access and insecurity that could interfere with technological deployment. With less than four months remaining before the presidential election, the practical effectiveness of the proposed systems will depend on adequate testing, personnel training and clear procedures for resolving technical problems.
Amupitan’s assurances have placed renewed attention on the relationship between technological innovation and democratic accountability as Nigeria approaches another major election. Artificial intelligence could help INEC distribute materials more efficiently, detect administrative irregularities and strengthen its ability to respond to emerging digital threats. However, its introduction also creates responsibilities concerning privacy, transparency, accuracy and the prevention of political manipulation. The commission must demonstrate that automated tools will assist authorised officials rather than independently determine electoral outcomes or override legally established procedures. Political parties, election observers, journalists and voters will also have important roles in identifying misinformation and demanding explanations when technology produces disputed findings. The success of the reforms will ultimately depend on whether Nigerians can understand how the systems operate, verify important electoral information and trust that their votes are counted according to law. As preparations for January 2027 continue, the central principle remains that technology may support the electoral process, but the authority to choose Nigeria’s leaders belongs to the electorate.
