The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns that artificial intelligence-driven disinformation poses one of the most serious threats to the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, spoke on the theme “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication,” where he called for electoral technology and communication to be treated as a single discipline.
CDA News Nigeria gathered that Amupitan said the commission’s credibility now depends as much on how electoral processes are understood and trusted as on the integrity of the ballot, the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and result sheets. He noted that generative AI has made it significantly cheaper to produce convincing synthetic audio, video and images, warning that such content could spread widely before fact-checkers or election authorities can intervene.
He acknowledged that technological failures during the 2023 election had already dented public trust, adding that legitimacy is only earned when systems perform reliably and shortcomings are explained honestly.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC is conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology infrastructure, covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery planning, while also exploring a mock presidential election ahead of 2027 to test accreditation, transmission and results-viewing systems.
He further decried the non-release of budgetary funds needed for technology and election operations, warning that unresolved funding gaps could compound the credibility risks facing the polls.
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