The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will deploy artificial intelligence (AI) in the 2027 general elections to detect discrepancies in polling unit results, prevent the upload of inconsistent figures and address weaknesses identified in its election result management system.
Dr Lawrence Bayode, ICT Director of INEC, said the technology would help ensure that figures entered electronically correspond with those recorded on scanned polling unit result sheets before results are uploaded to the commission’s result management platform.
Bayode disclosed this on Thursday in Abuja at the launch of the AI for Elections Hackathon, Elections Development Hub and Elections Community of Practice, organised by RISE Networks in collaboration with Google, Microsoft, INEC, MacArthur Foundation and other partners.
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He said the commission identified inconsistencies in its result management process after introducing electronic systems ahead of the 2023 general elections, prompting it to explore AI as a solution.
Bayode said the commission had observed instances where images uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) did not correspond with polling unit results, including photographs of presiding officers and buildings instead of properly completed result sheets.
“We saw pictures of presiding officers on IReV and pictures of buildings on the portal. So, the commission wants to ensure that anything uploaded on IReV is genuine and relates to the actual results from polling units,” he said.
He explained that AI could help the commission detect suspicious uploads, identify inconsistencies and verify that the documents submitted through the portal were the appropriate election result sheets.
According to him, the technology would automatically flag discrepancies between the figures on scanned result sheets and those entered electronically, preventing the upload of results until the inconsistencies are resolved.
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“If there is 200 on the physical result sheet that is scanned, and you are entering 250, that is inconsistency. The system will tell you there is inconsistency between the accreditation data on the form and what you are entering,” Bayode said.
He explained that the system was designed to strengthen accuracy, reduce human error and ensure that results uploaded to INEC’s result management platform reflect figures recorded at polling units.
Bayode said the commission had piloted the technology in the Federal Capital Territory, Ekiti and other elections ahead of its planned deployment for the 2027 general elections.
He added that INEC had established an Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and was developing a framework to guide the responsible deployment of AI in its operations.
He said the commission is also exploring the use of AI for voter information services, electoral data management, operational efficiency and the detection of misinformation.
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Bayode, however, stressed that technology must not compromise electoral security, transparency or public confidence, adding that human oversight and accountability would remain essential.
Prof. Victor Odumuyiwa, an artificial intelligence expert at the University of Lagos, commended the initiative, urging INEC to leverage local expertise and engage young innovators and universities to develop practical solutions to electoral challenges.
Other speakers included Dr Tosin Akerele-Ogunsiji, Sade Dada, Meta’s head of public policy for Anglophone West Africa, and Barrister Tsema Ede, an international human rights lawyer.
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