Experts don support the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to check Nigeria voters register ahead of the 2027 general elections, as dem believe say the technology fit help Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) discover duplicate registration and strengthen the credibility of the voters register.
As dem speak with The PUNCH ahead of the coming PUNCH Media Foundation webinar on AI, the experts also warn say fake announcement about postponement of election fit discourage voters from coming out to vote.
This warning follow the incident wey happen for Ekiti State, where one AI-generated picture of voters circulate for social media.
Remember say during the June 20, 2026 governorship election for the state, one picture wey supposedly show voters dey queue to sell their votes go viral.
But people wey dey do fact-checking for Centre for Democracy and Development later confirm say na AI create the picture.
Another picture wey people share as evidence of large voter turnout for Ado-Ekiti also turn out to be AI-generated after Nigerian Fact-checkers’ Coalition analyse am.
Last week, INEC reveal say its biometric system don flag 268,000 voter records over suspected AI-generated pictures and other irregularities.
The commission also admit say some of its registration officers for office and field use their authorised login details to add the AI-generated pictures and other irregularities to the voters register.
INEC also confirm say some genuine pictures wey voters submit don pass through AI-powered phone applications to improve their appearance.
While giving more information about the figures, INEC Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, tell The PUNCH say the system don flag 268,000 records, but e refuse to reveal how many of the records dem don review.
Bayode explain say the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) go identify multiple registrations, underage voters and other irregularities.
E add say human officers go review the flagged records and remove those wey no meet the requirements.
“Human Adjudication exercise will remove them. Those that we have seen, we are cleaning up,” e talk.
However, Bayode clarify say INEC no go automatically remove voters wey use AI-powered phone applications to improve their genuine photographs.
According to am, there is difference between genuine pictures wey AI don improve and pictures wey AI generate completely.
E explain say people wey only use AI applications to make their genuine photographs look better go still remain for the voters register.
But pictures wey AI create completely go face removal from the register.
“Those we know it is the AI on the phone that helped enhance their pictures; we can’t exclude such people because it was the AI on the phone that did that.
“Such people will still be on the register, but those AI-generated photographs, all of these will be removed. We are already looking at them,” e talk.
INEC ICT Director assure Nigerians say the commission go use ABIS to identify underage voters and people wey register more than once.
E also advise Nigerians to always confirm election information through the commission’s official media platforms.
“The platform where you can confirm if an election is postponed or cancelled is on INEC media platforms,” Bayode talk.
Bayode also explain say some people allegedly take advantage of one special registration option wey INEC create for persons with disabilities wey no get complete fingers or no get fingers at all.
E say the option, wey dem call special registration, na one of the loopholes wey people allegedly use to create questionable voter profiles.
The ICT Director add say INEC don begin the process of removing the affected records from the preliminary voters register.
Reacting to the discovery of suspected AI-generated pictures inside the voters register, one Facebook user, Edos Osayande, write:
“But they told Nigerians they are going to use AI for elections na. This is part of the AI.”
Amupitan Defend Use Of AI
Meanwhile, INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), don defend the commission’s use of Artificial Intelligence for election management.
E warn against the spread of false information and insist say people no suppose see AI as enemy of democracy.
Speaking for the Beyond the Ballot Summit wey hold for Abuja on November 2, Amupitan talk say AI no be enemy of democracy.
According to am, even though some people fit misuse the technology, e still get the ability to improve how elections dey happen.
E explain say AI fit help INEC manage voter registration, plan election logistics, analyse information and handle large voters databases more effectively.
However, Amupitan express concern over how easy e don become for people to access generative AI tools.
E warn say bad actors fit use the tools to deceive voters and spread false information during elections.
E explain say technology wey before now require serious government intelligence resources to create fake voices of public figures and realistic videos of election officials making false announcements don become something wey people fit produce with very little money.
According to am, these tools fit target different weaknesses in the electoral system and cause serious problems during election periods.
Experts Support AI Use
AI experts wey speak with The PUNCH also support the use of the technology, saying e fit help INEC discover unusual activities inside the voters register.
Dem explain say AI fit also improve voter education, identify electoral irregularities and help security agencies monitor threats wey fit affect elections.
According to the experts, proper use of AI fit strengthen election management and help INEC protect the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
