The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified 268 invalid voter registrations containing alleged AI generated images and other irregularities as it cleans the preliminary voter register ahead of the 2027 general election.
INEC Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed the finding during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, stating that the commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) flagged the compromised records for detailed review.
Bayode added that INEC is systematically examining all 268 flagged entries to verify instances of AI manipulation or structural fraud before initiating formal corrective measures.
“What we are currently doing now is looking at all these 268 records that ABIS already flagged as AI-generated or even something of irregularities,” he said.
Bayode also voiced concerns over the alleged abuse of special registration provisions designed for persons with disabilities who lack complete physical fingerprints.
He stated that certain individuals exploited the provision by using official credentials to generate questionable voter profiles, an anomaly flagged by the commission’s biometric system.
However, Bayode clarified that INEC will not remove every photograph that has undergone digital enhancement.
He drew a distinction between authentic photos touched up using mobile AI software and complete AI generated images, fabricated entirely by artificial intelligence.
Bayode emphasized that the commission has commenced processing the flagged data, stating that INEC will only remove photographs confirmed to be fully AI-generated.
Backstory…
The cleanup effort follows widespread public criticism after INEC published the preliminary voter register online on October 26.
Social media users circulated screenshots highlighting suspicious voter profile photos, including several entries linked to locations in Edo State.
The surrounding controversy also drew attention to alleged duplicate registrations and the inclusion of deceased individuals on the draft roll.
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