AI won’t decide 2027 election, INEC chairman assures Nigerians

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that artificial intelligence (AI) will not determine the outcome of the 2027 general election, insisting that the power to elect leaders rests exclusively with the electorate.

Amupitan gave the assurance on Wednesday in Abuja at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026, organised by Yiaga Africa, with the theme, “Safeguarding the 2027 General Election in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”

He, however, warned that AI would significantly influence the information environment in which voters make decisions, the security and speed of electoral logistics, and the tactics of both democratic actors and those seeking to undermine the electoral process.

“Let me answer that core question unequivocally from the outset. No, algorithms will not and must never decide the 2027 votes. Algorithms will not decide the vote because the choice of who leads Nigeria belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people,” he said.

According to him, Nigeria must embrace the realities of artificial intelligence while ensuring that the technology strengthens democracy rather than controls it.

“Our task, therefore, at this forum and within the Commission is to ensure that AI remains a servant of democracy, not its master,” he said.

The INEC chairman disclosed that the 2027 general election would involve more than 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units in the 36 states of the federation and the Federal Capital Territory.

He described the exercise as one of the most complex administrative undertakings in the world, given Nigeria’s geographical spread, difficult terrain, security challenges and the need to ensure that no eligible voter was disenfranchised.

Amupitan also disclosed that INEC had completed 10 of the 14 major operational activities outlined in its election timetable, despite the strict timelines stipulated by the Electoral Act 2026.

On preparations for the polls, he said the commission had procured and begun receiving additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, devices to strengthen its technological capacity ahead of the elections.

He added that INEC had digitised its candidate nomination process through the introduction of the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal, which handles more than 15,000 nominations submitted by 22 political parties.

The commission, he said, had also introduced online voter registration and was implementing a decentralised, multi-phase Permanent Voter Card, PVC, collection exercise nationwide.

Amupitan attributed improvements in the deployment of election materials and the early commencement of voting in recent elections partly to the use of artificial intelligence, geospatial analysis and predictive modelling.

According to him, AI-driven systems can analyse traffic patterns, weather forecasts, road conditions and security incidents to determine optimal routes for transporting election materials and personnel to polling units.

He said the technology could also provide early warnings about weather-related disruptions and help the commission identify potential logistical bottlenecks before election day.

On electoral integrity, the INEC chairman said technological tools, including biometric voter accreditation and electronic transmission of polling-unit results, had helped address vulnerabilities associated with manual accreditation and arbitrary manipulation of results.

He explained that AI could further support the auditing of uploaded polling-unit result sheets by identifying mathematical inconsistencies, unusual entry patterns and discrepancies in image quality.

However, he stressed that human collation remained the statutory standard for declaring election results, while AI could provide additional support for detecting anomalies.

The INEC chairman said the commission would continue to collaborate with civil society organisations, technology firms, regulatory bodies and security agencies to harness the benefits of AI while protecting the electoral process against emerging threats.

Meanwhile, the Executive Director of Yiaga Africa, Samson Itodo, has warned that the growing distrust in Nigeria’s electoral process could undermine the credibility of the 2027 general election unless stakeholders take deliberate steps to rebuild public confidence.

Itodo, who acknowledged INEC’s efforts to deploy technology in election management, said the integrity of those operating AI systems was as important as the technology itself.

He said the credibility of AI-driven electoral processes could be compromised if the individuals managing them lacked integrity.

“One thing is to deploy technology; it is another thing for the personal integrity of those managing those technologies to be there.

“And this is why we’ll continue to harp on those who are managing this process, that their integrity is critical. Because if an AI tool is operated by a compromised individual, rest assured that the outcome will be compromised as well,” he said.

The Yiaga Africa director spoke against the backdrop of growing concerns over public confidence in elections, particularly following controversies surrounding the deployment of technology in the 2023 general election.

According to him, distrust in the electoral process remains palpable, with many Nigerians questioning whether their votes will count in the 2027 elections.

He said a recent national voting intention survey conducted by Yiaga Africa showed that concerns about the credibility of the electoral process remained widespread.

Itodo, however, noted that efforts were being made by INEC and other stakeholders to restore confidence in the system, stressing that rebuilding trust required the collective commitment of the electoral commission, civil society organisations and other actors.

He commended INEC for its leadership in deploying artificial intelligence for election management, describing the commission’s efforts as worthy of recognition and encouragement.

He also noted that INEC was the first electoral commission in Africa to establish an AI position, describing the development as evidence of its commitment to technological innovation in election administration.

However, Itodo cautioned that the use of AI must be accompanied by strong governance mechanisms, transparency and accountability to prevent the technology from becoming a tool for electoral manipulation.

The Yiaga Africa director also raised concerns over the increasing number of AI-powered tools and platforms being developed to aggregate results ahead of the 2027 general election, insisting that only INEC has the legal authority to declare election results and winners.

He clarified that while civil society organisations, media organisations and other stakeholders could independently aggregate results to monitor the electoral process, such efforts must not be confused with the official declaration of results.

“It is our position that only INEC can declare results, can declare winners in an election, because that is the position of the law,” he said.

“That does not mean that other stakeholders cannot aggregate results and keep sight or provide oversight of the results management process.

“And so, we encourage stakeholders to continue to use different tools and platforms to keep an eye on the results process.”

Itodo urged INEC to sustain transparency and openness in its management of election results, arguing that greater transparency would enhance public acceptance of electoral outcomes.

He also called on organisations deploying AI for election results aggregation to adhere to strict standards of integrity, transparency and auditability.

According to him, inaccurate data could undermine political stability, while a lack of transparency in the methodology used to aggregate results could further erode public trust.

“The first one is the principle of integrity: that if the data you are aggregating and you’re sharing is not accurate, it could actually be a tool for political stability,” he said.

He stressed that organisations deploying AI-powered electoral tools must be open about their methodologies and ensure that their systems could be independently audited.

Itodo said Yiaga Africa used its Process and Results Verification for Transparency, PRVT, methodology, alongside an election results analysis dashboard, to monitor and analyse election results.

He noted that other organisations, including the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) and Dataphyte were also deploying different tools to support election monitoring and results analysis.

He maintained that the credibility of such initiatives depended on the reliability of their data, transparency of their methodologies and the ability of independent observers to audit their systems.

Itodo said the objective should be to use technology to strengthen public confidence in the electoral process rather than introduce new sources of doubt and controversy.

He urged electoral stakeholders to use the two-day forum to develop strategies for maximising the opportunities presented by artificial intelligence while mitigating the risks it poses to the 2027 general election.