Nigeria: INEC Chairman Says Ai Can Strengthen Democracy, Warns Against Election Disinformation

What the report says

Nigeria’s electoral commission chief, Prof. Joash Amupitan, said artificial intelligence could help strengthen the country’s elections rather than threaten democracy, while warning that the same tools can be misused to spread disinformation. According to Vanguard, which was republished by AllAfrica, he made the remarks on Monday at The Beyond the Ballot Summit in Abuja.

Amupitan said AI could support INEC’s work in areas such as voter registration, logistics planning, data analysis and managing large voter databases. He noted that election authorities in other countries are increasingly using AI-assisted systems to improve administration and planning. At the same time, he cautioned that widely available generative AI makes it easier to produce deceptive content that can mislead voters and undermine confidence in elections.

He pointed to risks such as cloned voices, fabricated videos and false announcements that could be used to manipulate public opinion, especially during sensitive periods in an election cycle. The comments come as INEC prepares for Nigeria’s 2027 general election and considers whether to expand the use of AI in election administration.

The report also noted recent concerns over suspected AI-generated photographs in INEC’s preliminary voter register in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State. INEC said the register is still preliminary and will be checked, cleaned and corrected before final certification. The episode has added to broader questions about how electoral bodies can adopt new technology while keeping verification and transparency safeguards in place.