INEC Raises Concern Over AI Disinformation Ahead of 2027 Election

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised the alarm over the growing use of artificial intelligence to create and spread disinformation, warning that the emerging technology could pose a serious threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general election.

The INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the warning on Wednesday in Abuja while calling for electoral technology and communication to be treated as interconnected aspects of election management.

Amupitan spoke in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by National Commissioner, Sani Adam, SAN, at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN), held at the National Open University Conference Centre.

The conference had as its theme, “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication.”

The INEC chairman said the credibility of elections was no longer dependent solely on the integrity of ballots, accreditation systems and result sheets, but also on how information about the electoral process was communicated and understood by voters.

He said the Commission’s experience with the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) had demonstrated the importance of public understanding and confidence in electoral technology.

According to him, the introduction of the systems was intended to bridge a longstanding credibility gap by allowing citizens to view polling-unit results before their transmission to collation centres.

However, the 2023 general election exposed the risk of technology becoming a source of public distrust when systems fail or their limitations are not properly communicated.

Amupitan said legitimacy could only be sustained when electoral systems perform reliably, are understood by the public and shortcomings are addressed transparently.

He disclosed that INEC was conducting a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology infrastructure, covering system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery planning.

The Commission is also considering a mock presidential election ahead of 2027 to test accreditation, result transmission and results viewing under conditions similar to those expected on election day.

The chairman expressed particular concern about the ability of generative AI to produce convincing but false videos, audio recordings and images at relatively low cost.

He said manipulated political content had already emerged during recent electoral cycles in West and East Africa, including content circulated around Nigeria’s 2023 presidential election.

The problem, he explained, goes beyond outright fabrication, as AI-powered microtargeting could allow different sections of the electorate to receive conflicting political messages without a common factual basis.

Amupitan warned that such content could reach millions of social media users before journalists, fact-checkers or institutions have the opportunity to verify and correct it.

As part of its preparations for the 2027 election, he said INEC had proposed substantial funding for technology and election operations, including the procurement of new accreditation devices to replace those lost or damaged during the last election.

Although full release of the funds was still being awaited, the Commission’s ICT team had begun engagements with manufacturers, while work on the technology audit and mock election was progressing alongside budget finalisation.

Amupitan outlined a five-point strategy for dealing with the changing information environment.

The approach includes integrating technology and communication planning, establishing a rapid-response mechanism to counter false claims within the same news cycle, informing the public in advance about known vulnerabilities and safeguards, strengthening collaboration with media scholars, fact-checkers and technology platforms, and investing in public media literacy.

He also commended INEC’s collaboration with international partners on cybersecurity architecture and system resilience.

The chairman called for a structured partnership between INEC and communication scholars, particularly in research on media literacy, detection of synthetic content and training for journalists and civic educators.

He noted that Nigeria’s 2027 electorate would be younger and more dependent on mobile technology, making the smartphone a major channel through which many voters would encounter election-related information.

But he cautioned that Nigeria could not simply copy approaches used in other countries, saying solutions must reflect the country’s realities, including internet access, language diversity and levels of institutional trust.

The Commission, he stressed, would seek to combat disinformation by providing accurate and timely information rather than restricting legitimate journalism or civic dissent.

The warning comes as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 general election, with the Commission also planning to use lessons from recent off-cycle elections to strengthen its technology and operations. INEC has separately announced a nationwide mock accreditation exercise for November 2026 to test BVAS and other electoral equipment ahead of the general election.

Amupitan expressed optimism that the ACSPN conference would lead to sustained collaboration between the Commission and communication professionals in tackling the information challenges surrounding future elections.

He reaffirmed INEC’s commitment to improving both its electoral technology and transparency as the country moves towards the 2027 polls.