By David Lawani, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has proposed integrating electoral technology and communication into a single strategic framework ahead of the 2027 general election, warning that artificial intelligence-driven disinformation poses a growing threat to the credibility of the polls.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said the increasing sophistication of generative AI had made manipulated videos, audio recordings and images easier to produce and harder to detect, raising fresh concerns over electoral misinformation.
Amupitan made the remarks in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by National Commissioner, Sani Adam, at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria in Abuja on Wednesday.
He said electoral credibility could no longer be judged solely by the integrity of ballots and voting technology, stressing that public understanding and trust in information surrounding elections had become equally important.
The INEC chairman said the experience of the 2023 general election showed that technology could become a source of public distrust when systems failed to perform as expected.
According to him, electoral legitimacy depends on reliable technological systems, effective communication with stakeholders and transparent explanations whenever failures occur.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC was undertaking a comprehensive audit of its technology infrastructure, including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery arrangements, ahead of the next general election.
He also said the Commission was considering a mock presidential election to test voter accreditation, result transmission and result viewing systems under conditions similar to election day.
Warning about the dangers of synthetic content, Amupitan said manipulated materials could reach millions of voters before fact-checkers and relevant authorities were able to intervene.
He said the threat extended beyond fabricated videos and images to algorithmic microtargeting, which could expose different segments of voters to contradictory political messages.
“The credibility of the electoral process increasingly depends not only on the integrity of the ballot, BVAS and result sheets, but also on how information about electoral processes is communicated, understood and trusted by citizens,” he said.
The INEC chairman outlined a five-point strategy to address emerging threats, including integrating technology and communication planning, establishing rapid-response mechanisms against false information and proactively disclosing technological vulnerabilities and safeguards.
Other measures, he said, include strengthening collaboration with media professionals, fact-checkers and technology platforms, as well as investing in public media literacy.
Amupitan said Nigeria’s 2027 electorate would be younger and more dependent on mobile technology, making smartphones a major channel for election information and political communication.
He, however, said INEC would respond to disinformation by providing accurate and timely information rather than restricting legitimate journalism, political expression or civic dissent.
Meanwhile, INEC has dismissed allegations by the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) that it removed validly nominated candidates of the party for some State House of Assembly constituencies in Anambra and Benue states and replaced them with unauthorised names.
The Commission described the allegation as unfounded, insisting that the nomination of candidates remained the exclusive responsibility of political parties.
In a statement issued by the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, INEC said it lacked the legal authority to select, insert or substitute candidates for political parties.
“Political parties have the exclusive responsibility of nominating candidates for elections,” the Commission said.
Haruna explained that while INEC monitored party primaries as part of its statutory responsibilities, such oversight did not give the Commission the power to impose candidates on political parties.
He said candidate lists were generated from information submitted through the nomination process and backed by forms jointly signed by the National Chairmen and National Secretaries of the respective parties.
According to him, INEC was in possession of Form EC9E containing the names of the candidates in dispute, which was duly submitted and signed by the NDC’s national leadership.
The Commission maintained that it did not independently upload, alter or substitute candidate information submitted by the NDC or any other political party, reaffirming its commitment to transparency and a level playing field ahead of the 2027 elections.