INEC Urges Secure AI Use As ECONEC Adopts Election Guidelines

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has called on electoral bodies across West Africa to adopt artificial intelligence (AI) responsibly, strengthen cybersecurity and protect public confidence in elections as the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC) adopts guidelines for the technology.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, made the call on Tuesday at the commission’s headquarters in Abuja while receiving an ECONEC delegation led by Serigne Ka, Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division and Permanent Secretary of ECONEC.

The visit followed a two-day validation meeting in Abuja, where electoral officials reviewed guidelines for using AI in electoral processes. The initiative emerged from an ECONEC symposium on AI and election integrity held in Dakar, Senegal, in November 2025.

Amupitan said electoral bodies could no longer ignore AI but must develop the safeguards needed to prevent its misuse and protect democratic institutions.

“Even if you don’t want to use it, every system you have, even your phone already has AI in it,” he said.

He acknowledged concerns about the technology but argued that electoral commissions should focus on managing its risks while exploring its benefits.

“A lot of people are very skeptical about the use of AI because of the dangers inherent in it,” the INEC chairman said.

He explained that responsible adoption requires strong cybersecurity measures to prevent malicious actors from exploiting digital systems. He also stressed the need to protect young people from the dangers associated with AI.

“When we say we want to use AI, it means that you want to have features or cyber skills that will prevent your own phone system from being used against you,” he said.

Amupitan identified voter registration and public information services as areas where AI could improve electoral administration. He said the technology could help commissions process information and respond promptly to questions from voters.

“Through AI, you are able to provide information. Frequently asked questions. Information is pulled out,” he said.

He added that reliable access to electoral information would help strengthen public trust, which remains essential to credible elections.

The INEC chairman said the guidelines had become particularly relevant as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections. He noted that the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections will hold on February 16, 2027.

He also said INEC’s operations follow the Electoral Act 2026, enacted in February, alongside the regulations and guidelines issued by the commission.

Beyond AI adoption, Amupitan urged electoral commissions in West Africa to deepen cooperation in electronic transmission of results, records management and election logistics.

He identified risk assessment, personnel training and election planning as other areas for collaboration. He also called for preventive regulations to improve political parties’ compliance and reduce electoral disputes.

“Equally important is institutionalising post-election reviews,” he said, advocating follow-up missions to monitor recommendations, assess implementation and provide technical support.

The chairman further stressed the need to promote inclusive electoral participation, particularly among vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities. He said transparency, institutional preparedness and public confidence must remain central to election management.

“INEC remains committed to working with ECONEC and other regional partners to strengthen electoral administration and democracy,” Amupitan said.

Earlier, Ka said the delegation came to Nigeria to validate the draft guidelines developed after the Dakar symposium.

He explained that participants at the November 2025 meeting agreed to establish a working group to develop a framework for using AI in electoral processes. The group subsequently held consultations and produced the draft document, which underwent validation in Abuja on Monday and Tuesday.

Ka said the exercise brought together several information technology experts because of the technical issues surrounding AI adoption.

He also acknowledged Nigeria’s progress in the field, noting that the country already had a unit working on AI. He said sharing practical experiences among electoral commissions would help member countries develop effective approaches to the technology.

“Now that the guidelines have been adopted, we are going to see now how in the sub-region we are going to use AI in our electoral processes,” he said.

Ka maintained that electoral bodies must prepare for the technology rather than attempt to exclude it from their operations.

“AI is here to stay anyway. There’s no way we can do away with AI anymore,” he said. “How we are going to manage it, that’s what we are thinking about.”

The ECONEC official also conveyed the apologies of the network’s newly elected chairman, Abdoulaye Sylla, who chairs Senegal’s electoral commission. Sylla could not attend the visit because he was feeling unwell, Ka explained.

He thanked Amupitan and other INEC officials for receiving the delegation and urged the wider international community to support the implementation of the guidelines.

Ka said the next task would be to determine how electoral commissions across the sub-region could apply the framework to their operations and address the risks associated with AI.