BY EMMA PETER, ABUJA
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, has declared that artificial intelligence (AI) and algorithms will not determine the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, insisting that the sovereign will of Nigerians must remain the deciding factor in the country’s democratic process.
Amupitan made the declaration at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, themed “Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence,” where he stressed that technology must remain a tool for improving electoral administration rather than replacing human judgment and democratic choice.
“Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote,” the INEC chairman declared, adding that the decision on who governs Nigeria belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people.
He explained that although algorithms could analyse patterns, optimise routes and suggest preferences, they lacked the conscience and democratic authority required to determine the leadership of a country.
The forum, co-convened by INEC and Yiaga Africa, attracted electoral officials, members of the diplomatic corps, political party representatives, civil society organisations, media executives, security agencies, technology companies, international development partners and academics from Nigeria and other African countries.
Among the participants was the Chairperson of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions and Chairman of Senegal’s Electoral Commission, Mr Abdoulaye Sylla, alongside INEC National Commissioners, Resident Electoral Commissioners and representatives of other election management bodies.
With 92 days remaining until the 2027 general elections, Amupitan acknowledged that artificial intelligence would significantly influence the information environment, electoral logistics and the strategies employed by both democratic stakeholders and those seeking to undermine the electoral process.
He noted that while AI would not determine election results, its growing influence could affect how voters receive information, how electoral materials are distributed and how political actors communicate with the electorate.
The INEC chairman described the 2027 general elections as the largest democratic exercise on the African continent and one of the most complex administrative undertakings globally.
According to him, the elections will involve more than 103 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units across 774 local government areas and multiple levels of voting covering presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State House of Assembly elections.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had completed 10 of the 14 major operational milestones stipulated under the Electoral Act 2026, while also procuring additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices to support the electoral process.
He further revealed that the commission had digitised candidate nominations through its INEC Candidates Nomination Portal, processing more than 15,000 nominations submitted by 22 political parties.
The commission has also introduced online voter registration for the first time in Nigeria, as part of efforts to expand access to the electoral process and improve administrative efficiency.
On the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence, Amupitan identified predictive logistics, route optimisation, automated assistance with result audits, biometric database management, multilingual voter engagement and AI-powered cybersecurity defence as areas where the technology could improve election administration.
However, he emphasised that the adoption of AI would not remove human responsibility from critical electoral decisions, stressing that voter accreditation, result collation and candidate qualification would not be left entirely to autonomous systems.
He said the commission remained committed to the principle of human oversight, with statutory supervision, accountability and judicial review continuing to guide every stage of the electoral process.
“Human accountability, statutory oversight, and judicial review will remain paramount at every stage of the electoral chain,” he said.
The INEC chairman also identified generative AI, deepfakes, synthetic media, micro-targeting, undisclosed digital advertisements, algorithmic bias and automated cyberattacks as emerging threats capable of undermining electoral integrity.
He warned that the manipulation of voters through false information could be as damaging as technical attacks against electoral infrastructure.
“The greatest threat we face is not the hacking of a ballot box, but the hacking of the voter’s mind,” Amupitan said, cautioning that voters’ inability to distinguish authentic information from fabricated content could undermine informed democratic choices.
To address these challenges, he disclosed that INEC had established a specialised AI Unit within its Information and Communication Technology Directorate.
According to him, the unit is equipped with digital monitoring tools, deepfake detection software and data analytics expertise to identify technical threats and track attempts to manipulate information relating to the electoral process.
Amupitan also called for coordinated action among political parties, civil society organisations, the media, security agencies, the judiciary and technology companies to protect the credibility of the 2027 elections.
He urged political parties to adopt an Ethical AI Code of Conduct to guide the use of emerging technologies in their campaigns, while encouraging civil society organisations to examine algorithmic transparency and monitor digital campaign spending.
He further called on security agencies and the judiciary to strengthen their capacity in cybercrime investigations and digital forensics, while urging media organisations to establish specialised digital forensic desks to verify user-generated content before publication or broadcast.
As part of the proposed safeguards, the INEC chairman advocated the establishment of an Electoral Information Integrity Coalition involving the commission, civil society organisations, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Fact-Checking Coalition, media organisations and telecommunications operators.
He said the proposed coalition would serve as an early-warning network for identifying and responding to viral falsehoods generated or amplified through artificial intelligence.
Returning to the central message of the forum, Amupitan stressed that the outcome of the 2027 elections must reflect the choices and aspirations of ordinary Nigerians across the country.
He cited citizens from different walks of life, including market women in Aba, farmers in Sokoto, teachers in Ibadan, technology innovators in Lagos, fishermen in Bayelsa and students in Maiduguri, as the people whose votes would determine the nation’s political future.
“On election day in 2027, it will be the thumbprint of the Nigerian citizen, guided by their own will and their own hopes, that decides our future,” he said.
“INEC’s job is to ensure that the voice of the people is heard clearly, above the noise of the machines.”
He concluded that the future of democracy should not be dictated by the capabilities of technology but determined by the choices of citizens, operating through established laws and democratic institutions.
The forum underscored the growing importance of preparing Nigeria’s electoral system for the opportunities and challenges posed by artificial intelligence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
