By George Omagbemi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) is deploying artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen election-result verification and cybersecurity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday in Abuja during a World Press Conference and National Stakeholders’ Meeting organised to mark 100 days to the first ballot of the 2027 elections.
Amupitan said the commission has established a dedicated AI Division within its Information and Communications Technology Department as part of efforts to improve the integrity and security of the electoral process.
He said automated AI auditing tools had already been integrated into INEC’s results verification process under a five-pillar AI governance framework.
According to him, the deployment will operate with mandatory human oversight, while INEC is finalising a formal AI governance policy to guide how the technology is used.
The commission is also working with technology partners to deploy AI-driven anomaly detection tools capable of monitoring database traffic and identifying potential cyber intrusions or unauthorised alterations to INEC systems.
Amupitan said the move is particularly important as election-related disinformation becomes more sophisticated. He warned that generative AI, voice cloning and deepfake videos could be used to fabricate statements by election officials, manipulate result sheets and circulate false information at speed.
The INEC chairman therefore urged journalists and other stakeholders to strengthen fact-checking and use digital forensic tools when verifying election-related information.
He also cautioned media organisations against independently declaring election results, stressing that the legal authority to declare results rests with INEC.
The AI initiative forms part of wider technological preparations for the 2027 elections. INEC has also acquired 57,000 additional BVAS machines, while the national register of voters has risen to more than 103 million following the completion of the latest Continuous Voter Registration exercise and biometric clean-up.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, according to INEC’s official election timetable.
With the election countdown entering its final months, INEC says the combination of AI-assisted verification, cybersecurity measures, upgraded biometric technology and human oversight will help protect the electoral system.
The effectiveness of the new technology, however, will ultimately depend on how transparently, securely and consistently it is deployed during the actual electoral process.
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