Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) tools to strengthen election result verification and cybersecurity as preparations for the 2027 general elections intensify.
The commission said it has established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its Information and Communications Technology Department to oversee the integration of AI technologies into critical electoral processes.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed the development during a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting in Abuja, where he outlined the commission’s efforts to safeguard the integrity of the forthcoming polls.
According to the commission, automated AI auditing tools are being incorporated into the election result verification process to help identify anomalies, discrepancies and administrative errors before results are finalised. The technology will operate under a governance framework that requires human oversight of all AI-assisted processes.
Amupitan said the commission was also integrating AI-driven anomaly detection systems to monitor election databases and strengthen protection against cyber threats, unauthorised access and potential attempts to manipulate electoral information.
The INEC chairman stressed that AI would serve as a support tool rather than a replacement for human decision-making, noting that electoral officials would retain responsibility for all final determinations and certifications.
The commission also expressed concern about the increasing use of generative AI technologies, including voice cloning and deepfake videos, which could be exploited to spread false election information, impersonate officials or circulate fabricated documents. However, INEC’s main announcement focused on result verification and cybersecurity measures rather than deploying a dedicated deepfake detection system.
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Amupitan urged media organisations and other stakeholders to strengthen verification procedures and exercise caution when reporting election-related claims, warning that misinformation could undermine public confidence in democratic institutions.
Beyond its AI initiative, INEC said it was continuing broader technology upgrades ahead of the 2027 elections, including enhancements to its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), nationwide system audits, mock accreditation exercises and expanded technical support for election personnel.
The commission’s latest measures come as Nigeria’s voter register surpasses 103 million registered voters, underscoring the scale of preparations required for what is expected to be one of the country’s largest electoral exercises.
INEC said the introduction of AI-assisted verification and cybersecurity tools forms part of a wider effort to improve transparency, resilience and public trust in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 polls.
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