The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof Joash Amupitan (SAN), has said algorithms will not determine the outcome of the 2027 general elections, insisting that the decision on who governs Nigeria rests solely with voters.
Amupitan stated this on Wednesday at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, themed “Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
He warned that although artificial intelligence could influence electoral administration and the information available to voters, the technology must remain subordinate to human judgment and democratic institutions.
“Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote,” he said, adding that “The choice of who leads Nigeria belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people.
“Algorithms may predict patterns; they may optimise routes, and they may even suggest preferences. But they do not have a conscience, they do not have a country, and they do not have a vote.”
The INEC chairman, however, acknowledged that AI would significantly shape the electoral environment, influencing the circulation of information, election logistics and the activities of those seeking to manipulate the process.
“While algorithms will not decide the vote, AI will undeniably shape the information environment in which citizens form their choices, influence the speed and security of electoral logistics, and alter the tactics of both democratic actors and anti-democratic disruptors,” he said.
The forum, co-convened by INEC and Yiaga Africa, brought together electoral officials, political party leaders, civil society organisations, media executives, security agencies, technology companies and international development partners, among others.
Amupitan described the 2027 elections as the largest democratic exercise on the African continent, noting that INEC would conduct the polls for more than 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units in 774 local government areas.
He said the elections would involve multiple ballots for the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state Houses of Assembly contests.
The chairman disclosed that INEC had completed 10 of the 14 major operational milestones outlined under the Electoral Act 2026.
He added that the commission had procured additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, digitised candidate nominations through its INEC Candidates Nomination Portal and processed more than 15,000 nominations across 22 political parties.
Amupitan also listed the introduction of online voter registration as one of the commission’s initiatives to improve electoral administration.
On the potential benefits of AI, he said the technology could improve logistics and route planning, assist in auditing election results, enhance biometric database management, facilitate voter engagement in multiple languages and strengthen cybersecurity.
He stressed, however, that the commission would not surrender critical electoral decisions to automated systems.
“No critical electoral decision, result collation, voter accreditation, or candidate qualification will ever be fully automated or delegated to an autonomous system.
“Human accountability, statutory oversight, and judicial review will remain paramount at every stage of the electoral chain,” Amupitan added.
The chairman identified generative AI, deepfakes, synthetic media, targeted political advertising, algorithmic bias and automated cyberattacks as threats to the credibility of the 2027 elections.
He warned that the spread of fabricated audio, videos and images could mislead voters and undermine public confidence in genuine electoral information.
“The greatest threat we face is not the hacking of a ballot box, but the hacking of the voter’s mind.
“If a voter cannot distinguish between truth and a synthetic lie, the foundation of informed consent crumbles,” Amupitan said.
The PUNCH reports that the commission had earlier disclosed plans to deploy AI-powered tools to detect anomalies in election results and combat disinformation ahead of the 2027 polls.
At its world press conference held on October 6, INEC said it had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its Information and Communications Technology Directorate, with automated AI auditing tools already integrated into its results verification process.
The commission said the initiative would operate under a five-pillar AI governance framework with mandatory human oversight, while its AI governance policy was being finalised.
At Wednesday’s forum, Amupitan said the commission’s AI unit was equipped with digital monitoring tools, deepfake detection software and data analytics expertise to track technical threats and attempts to manipulate electoral information.
He called on political parties to adopt an ethical code of conduct for AI use, while urging civil society organisations to scrutinise algorithmic transparency and monitor digital campaign spending.
He also urged security agencies and judicial officers to strengthen their capacity for cybercrime investigations and digital forensics.
The INEC chairman called on media organisations to establish digital forensic desks to verify user-generated content before publication or broadcast.
He further proposed an Electoral Information Integrity Coalition involving INEC, civil society groups, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Fact-Checking Coalition, media organisations and telecommunications operators.
According to him, the coalition would serve as an early-warning network against the spread of AI-generated falsehoods capable of undermining the electoral process.
Amupitan said the outcome of the 2027 elections would ultimately reflect the choices of Nigerians across different occupations and communities.
He cited market women, farmers, teachers, technology entrepreneurs, fishermen and students as among the citizens whose votes would determine the country’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.
“INEC’s job is to ensure that the voice of the people is heard clearly, above the noise of the machines,” he said.
Amupitan said the future of democracy should be determined not by the capabilities of technology but by the decisions of citizens, exercised through established laws and institutions.