INEC backs responsible AI use in election

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said electoral management bodies cannot realistically avoid Artificial Intelligence (AI), and must instead build the security safeguards needed to use it responsibly and in a way that protects public trust.

Prof. Amupitan said this on Tuesday October 13, 2026, at the INEC headquarters in Abuja while receiving a delegation of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions (ECONEC). 

The delegation was led by Mr. Serigne Ka, Head of the ECOWAS Electoral Assistance Division and Permanent Secretary of ECONEC.

The visit followed the two-day validation meeting in Abuja of ECONEC’s guidelines on the use of AI in electoral processes. The guidelines were developed by a working group set up after the ECONEC Symposium held in Dakar, Senegal, in November 2025, which focused on AI and election integrity.

Welcoming the delegation, the Chairman said the Commission considered the visit important enough to interrupt its regular business. “I was telling them at the commission meeting this afternoon that we have to stop our meetings and come and receive you,” he said, adding that the Commission needed “a close interaction with our colleagues.”

Prof. Amupitan described ECONEC as an important regional platform for cooperation, peer learning and the strengthening of democratic institutions across West Africa. He said the visit offered another opportunity to deepen relationships among electoral management bodies and to exchange practical knowledge.

Commenting on the guidelines, the Chairman acknowledged that many people remain doubtful about the technology. “A lot of people are very skeptical about the use of AI because of the dangers inherent in it,” he said.

He argued, however, that scepticism does not remove AI from the electoral environment. “Even if you don’t want to use it, every system you have, even your phone already has AI in it,” Prof. Amupitan said.

According to him, a commitment to using AI must go hand in hand with protecting institutions and citizens from its misuse. “When we say we want to use AI, it means that you want to have features or cyber skills that will prevent your own phone system from being used against you,” he said.

The INEC Chairman stressed that young people should be a particular focus of such protection. “You need to ensure that you get security, especially with our youth,” he said.

Prof. Amupitan identified voter registration as one area where AI could be put to practical use. “You need to use AI most of the time in voter registration,” he said.

He also pointed to the potential of AI in public engagement, noting that electoral commissions must be able to respond promptly to citizens’ enquiries. “We also need to have people there to be able to give responses. People like to ask questions,” he said.

“Through AI, you are able to provide information. Frequently asked questions. Information is pulled out,” the Chairman added.

He described such tools as vital to public trust, which he said was “very, very important” to the credibility of electoral processes.

The INEC Chairman said the guidelines come at a critical time for Nigeria, which is preparing for the 2027 General Election. He noted that the federal election, comprising the presidential and National Assembly elections, is scheduled for 16 January 2027, while the state elections, comprising governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections, will hold on 16 February 2027.

He added that the Commission’s operations are guided by the Electoral Act 2026, which was enacted in February, and by the regulations and guidelines issued by the Commission.

Turning to areas of collaboration with ECONEC, Prof. Amupitan said electoral commissions in the region should share expertise on electronic result transmission and record management. He also listed the strengthening of peer learning and logistics, risk assessment, personnel training and election planning as areas where member commissions could support one another.

The INEC Chairman further called for the promotion of preventive regulations for political parties “to enhance compliance and reduce disputes.” He added that regional cooperation should be strengthened, with attention to responsible media engagement and electoral security.

Prof. Amupitan stressed the need for inclusive participation, particularly for vulnerable groups and persons with disabilities. “But equally important is institutionalizing post-election reviews,” he said, adding that follow-up missions were also needed “to ensure that recommendations are prioritized,” implementation monitored and technical support provided.

Prof. Amupitan said institutional readiness, transparency and public confidence remained central to Nigeria’s preparations. “INEC remains committed to working with ECONEC and other regional partners to strengthen electoral administration and democracy,” he said, expressing hope for “practical outcomes that advance our shared democratic aspirations.”

Earlier, the leader of the delegation, Mr. Ka, explained that the mission to Nigeria was a follow-up to the ECONEC Symposium held in Dakar in November 2025. He said ECONEC holds a symposium on a chosen theme every year, and that the 2025 edition was devoted to AI and election integrity.

According to him, participants agreed at the end of the symposium that a working group should be set up to develop guidelines for the use of AI in electoral processes. “So that working group was set up and held working sessions and then developed the draft guidelines on the use of AI in electoral processes,” he said.

Mr. Ka said the delegation was in Nigeria specifically to validate the draft guidelines. “So this mission here now is here to validate those guidelines,” he said, explaining that the meeting began on Monday and ended on Tuesday.

He noted that many of the participants were Information Technology experts, given the nature of the subject. “When we talk of AI, we talk of IT also,” he said.

The ECONEC official acknowledged that Nigeria is already advancing in this area. “We know that in Nigeria, we already have a unit working on AI,” he said, adding that “the practical experiences, sharing of experiences is very important.”

Mr. Ka said the guidelines had now been adopted, and that attention would shift to how member commissions would apply them. “Now that the guidelines have been adopted, we are going to see now how in the sub-region we are going to use AI in our electoral processes,” he said.

He stressed that the technology was now a permanent feature of the electoral landscape. “AI is here to stay anyway. There’s no way we can do away with AI anymore,” he said. “How we are going to manage it, that’s what we are thinking about.”

Mr. Ka also conveyed the apologies of the newly elected Chairman of ECONEC, Mr. Abdoulaye Sylla, who is also the Chairman of Senegal’s electoral commission, and who was unable to attend the visit. He said the Chairman was supposed to be present but “felt a little bit uneasy.”

He thanked Prof. Amupitan and members of the Commission for receiving the delegation. “We are here to try to represent him and to convey our sincere appreciation Prof. Amupitan and all members of the Commission for receiving us,” he said.

Mr. Ka said the delegation was looking forward to implementation of the guidelines and called for the support of the wider international community. “We need to support, of course, the whole international community for this,” he said.