The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has announced plans to integrate artificial intelligence into the conduct of the 2027 general election.
Speaking on Tuesday at the commission’s world press conference and national stakeholders’ forum on preparations for the 2027 polls, INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan disclosed that a dedicated AI division has been established within the commission’s Information and Communication Technology (ICT) department.
He explained that automated AI auditing tools are being incorporated into the election results verification process under a five-pillar governance framework.The technology is designed to detect discrepancies in election records and combat disinformation, operating alongside human oversight to ensure transparency and accuracy.
“Artificial intelligence governance, the commission has established a dedicated artificial intelligence division with the ICT department.
“Automated AI auditing tools are being integrated into our results verification process under a five-pillar AI governance framework operating under the masonry human governance oversight and AI framework policy is being finalised by the commission,” he said.
In tandem with the technological updates, Professor Amupitan revealed plans to upgrade the commission’s media accreditation portal ahead of the 2027 general election.
He stated that the enhanced portal will become operational before the end of October 2026, opening the application window for both domestic and international media organizations.
To prevent administrative bottlenecks and last-minute delays, the INEC chairman urged media outlets planning to cover the 2027 polls to submit their applications early and complete the accreditation process well in advance.
Backstory…
INEC’s decision to introduce artificial intelligence into the verification of election results comes after the commission’s growing reliance on technology to improve the transparency of Nigeria’s electoral process.
NEC has warned that generative AI, voice cloning and deepfake technology can now be used to manufacture fake videos of electoral officials, doctored result sheets and fabricated official documents at a speed that makes conventional fact-checking more difficult.
In August, Amupitan described AI-driven disinformation as a major threat to the credibility of the 2027 elections.
Read Also: 2027 Election – INEC Fixes October 9 For Nationwide PVC Collection
