By Aliyu Oyewole
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the verification of election results and strengthening of cybersecurity ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting organised as the country enters the final 100-day countdown to the elections.
Amupitan said the commission had established a dedicated AI Division within its Information and Communications Technology Department as part of efforts to improve the reliability and security of the electoral process.
According to him, automated AI auditing tools are being integrated into INEC’s results verification process under a five-pillar AI Governance Framework.
He stressed, however, that the technology would not replace human officials, with every automated verification exercise subject to human oversight.
The INEC chairman said the commission was also finalising an AI governance policy to provide guidelines for the responsible deployment of the technology.
Beyond results verification, Amupitan said INEC was working to deploy AI-driven anomaly detection tools capable of monitoring database traffic and identifying possible cyber threats to the commission’s systems.
The tools are expected to help protect INEC’s digital platforms against cyber intrusions and unauthorised alterations that could undermine the credibility of election information.
Amupitan also disclosed that INEC was working with international technology partners as part of efforts to strengthen its cybersecurity architecture ahead of the 2027 polls.
The move comes amid growing concerns over the use of generative AI to create fake videos, cloned voices, fabricated documents and manipulated election results.
The INEC chairman had previously warned that AI-generated disinformation could pose a serious threat to public confidence in the 2027 elections, particularly as fabricated materials become increasingly difficult for ordinary voters to distinguish from genuine information.
He said the commission’s preparations were designed to ensure that technology strengthens rather than compromises electoral integrity.
INEC’s latest move also comes against the background of concerns surrounding the electronic transmission and public viewing of election results, particularly following difficulties experienced with the IReV results-viewing portal during the 2023 presidential election.
The commission currently operates IReV as a platform through which polling-unit result sheets can be viewed and election outcomes independently scrutinised by stakeholders.
With the 2027 elections scheduled to take place nationwide, INEC faces the more complex task of securing its systems across 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
The Presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the Governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 6, 2027.
Amupitan has assured Nigerians and the international community that INEC remains committed to neutrality, operational excellence and the integrity of the electoral process.
He also urged stakeholders, particularly the media, to strengthen verification mechanisms ahead of the elections as the country enters what is expected to be an increasingly intense information environment.
The commission’s adoption of AI therefore represents a significant shift in Nigeria’s electoral technology landscape, with the success of the initiative likely to depend not only on the sophistication of the technology but also on transparency, human oversight and public confidence in how automated systems are used.
