The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says integrity of the ballot in 2027 will depend not only on physical security of the polling units but largely on the authenticity of the information environment in which the voters make their decisions.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, stated this in Abuja at the National Summit on Artificial Intelligence (AI), Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) and Electoral Information Integrity, themed: Beyond the Ballot: Safeguarding Electoral Information Integrity in the Age of AI.
The summit brings together key electoral actors, tech experts and civil society leaders to address how artificial intelligence impacts democratic integrity, mis/disinformation and elections.
The event is organised by International Press Centre (IPC) and DAI, under the European Union Support and Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN III) framework to address the weaponisation of information ahead of the 2027 polls.
In his remarks, Amupitan cautioned that with misinformation, public trust in the democratic process could be severely undermined long before the first ballot was cast.
“As we prepare for the 2027 general elections, the undeniable truth that we must confront is that public awareness alone is no longer an adequate defence against synthetic content and digital manipulation.
“Informing citizens that deep-fakes exist or urging caution when consuming online news is useful, but it is insufficient against well-coordinated, highly funded and hyper-targetted information operations designed to erode public trust in election administration.
“What Nigeria urgently requires is a trusted, coordinated and rights-respecting operational ecosystem.
“Also, institutional structure through which public authorities, security bodies, independent fact-checkers, media networks and platform operators can collectively anticipate emerging threats, verify evidence, escalate incidents without delay, communicate authoritatively and institutionalise post-event lessons,’’ he said.
Amupitan described digital disinformation and malicious synthetic content as significant technological threat facing modern electoral administration.
He noted that for decades, those who managed elections in emerging democracies such as Nigeria focused their primary energy on physical and operational vulnerabilities, including securing sensitive ballot papers.
“While those operational realities remain essential, the terrain of electoral integrity has fundamentally shifted.
“Today, elections can be undermined long before the first ballot is cast.
“The threat is not limited to physical interference, such as violent ballot snatching at the polling unit, it takes shape within digital networks through synthetic media, automated misinformation and disinformation, deep-fake fabrication, digital micro-targeting, and FIMI,’’ he said.
Amupitan, while reflecting on Nigeria’s technological evolution, recalled how simple innovations had transitioned over time.
He recalled that under the leadership of Prof. Attahiru Jega, INEC introduced technology into Nigeria’s electoral system through the smart card reader.
The INEC chairman said the simple technology then transformed into the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), stressing: “but within those technologies are embedded AI operations and tools.”
He, however, observed that the rapid democratisation of generative artificial intelligence had drastically lowered the barrier to entry for malicious actors.
“With AI, it is now possible for somebody just in his small one-room cubicle to deliberately tweet or send out fake information, aimed at achieving a desired personal objective,” he said.
Amupitan noted that if the ecosystem and the electorate were not well-informed, they could be deceived into taking actions that were not only wrong, but rash.
He cited international precedents, such as the 2023 Slovakian parliamentary election—where cloned audio depicting political leaders discussing vote-buying went viral when the time for campaign had passed, preventing authorities from issuing timely debunking broadcasts before millions voted.
He added that deep-fake audio or video falsely declaring constituency results could pose direct risk of triggering civil unrest before the completion of official INEC declarations.
“When non-political actors leverage generative AI to manipulate domestic perceptions or when foreign entities execute coordinated FIMI campaigns, the casualty is not merely a candidate’s reputation, it is citizen trust in the democratic process itself,” he said.
He added that any institution that folds its arms in the face of those emerging dangers was “planning to fail,” noting that honesty remained the fundamental pillar of law and technology application:
To build technological resilience ahead of 2027, Amupitan said that INEC had established a dedicated internal AI unit in the commission.
To counter sophisticated digital threats, Amupitan said that the commission was prioritising voter education, transitioning from merely teaching citizens on how to vote to teaching them how to verify information and distinguish official communications from AI-generated deep-fakes.
He added that INEC was upgrading its digital infrastructure and collaborating with major social media platforms such as TikTok, Meta and X to flag, review and remove malicious or altered content swiftly.
He, however said INEC could not secure electoral integrity alone, urging stakeholders, including media organisations, to transmit verified institutional alerts without administrative delays.
“Fact-checkers and independent journalists must have direct access to designated INEC communication desk to confirm operational facts within minutes rather than hours.
“Security agencies must distinguish between protected political expression and actionable digital crimes aimed at destabilising public order,” Amupitan said.
Speaking as the chairman of the event, A former Chairman of Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Attahiru Jega, called for proactive and robust safeguards to protect information integrity, as Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections.
Jega noted that safeguarding electoral information against digital manipulation and malicious threats had become a critical task for all stakeholders.
While acknowledging that AI holds tremendous potential to improve efficiency and effectiveness in governance and electoral processes, he warned that it also carried severe negative uses that could undermine the integrity of elections.
“What is most important, of course, is how we prepare, anticipate these challenges and take appropriate measures, including setting up a framework of rapid response to address these,” he said.
Drawing from his participation in the 2024 Cambridge Conference on Electoral Democracy, Jega recommended that Election Management Bodies (EMBs) in Africa should consider deploying AI-driven tools, such as chatbots powered by officially-verified data.
He noted that such would allow citizens to quickly access accurate information and verify the authenticity of data being circulated.
“I understand that some African EMBs have seen the utility of this in checkmating or reducing the negative effects and the impact of misinformation and disinformation during elections.
“And I would like to recommend that if INEC has not done so so far, it might be a useful issue to add to our discussions and to see as to how best to know it before the 2027 general elections,” he said.
The former INEC chairman noted that building trust and public confidence in the electoral process was important.
“The integrity of an election is so important and the building trust and ensuring that there is public confidence in what participants in the electoral process do, and other key stakeholders do, is very important,” Jega said.
He urged participants to leverage the summit’s platform to move beyond dialogue and develop actionable strategies, rapid-response frameworks and tactical solutions to secure the integrity of future elections.
Declaring the workshop open, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said the integrity of 2027 elections remained a shared responsibility, noting that every institution and every citizen had a role to play.
Idris, who was represented by the Executive Secretary, Nigerian Press Council (NPC), Dr Dili Ezughah, said the President Bola Tinubu led-administration recognised the importance of credible information environment to democratic stability.
While citing Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, published in 2024, which provides a framework for responsible, critical and inclusive AI development and deployment, he stated the Tinubu administration also recognised the importance of credible information in strengthening Nigeria’s democracy.
“A significant demonstration of this commitment is the establishment of the UNESCO Category 2 International Media and Information Literacy Institute in Nigeria,” he said.
The minister said Tinubu had demonstrated the commitment by signing the amended Electoral Act 2026 into law on Feb. 18, which provided for mandatory electronic transmission of polling unit results and recognised the time-tested results viewing portal.
He, however, said technology alone could not guarantee public confidence in the electoral process, saying it should involve all stakeholders playing their expected roles.
“Electoral institutions must communicate clearly. Journalists must verify information and citizens must know where to obtain authentic electoral updates.
“I wish to emphasise that responsible journalism must not be mistaken for favourable journalism. The media must remain free to question government, political parties, candidates and public institutions, ensuring fairness and fair distinction between facts, allegations and opinions.
“We must also protect freedom of expression and the right to information. Responses to misinformation must be lawful, proportionate and respectful of fundamental rights.
“Technology platforms, political parties, security agencies, civil society and fact-checkers must each recognise their responsibilities,” he said
Idris urged the summit participants to move beyond discussions and produce practical commitments, such as stronger verification systems, rapid channels for correcting false information, coordinated responses to information threats and sustained public education ahead of the elections.
