The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that the growing use of artificial intelligence to create and spread disinformation could pose a serious threat to the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, as the commission intensifies preparations for the polls.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the warning on Wednesday, September 2, 2026, in Abuja, stressing that electoral technology and communication must now be treated as closely connected parts of the electoral process. His keynote address was delivered on his behalf by National Commissioner Sani Adam at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN).
The conference, themed “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication,” focused on the growing influence of technology and digital communication on elections across the continent.
Amupitan said the credibility of an election increasingly depends not only on the integrity of the ballot, accreditation systems and result sheets, but also on whether voters can access, understand and trust accurate information about the electoral process.
He warned that generative artificial intelligence has made it easier to produce convincing fake videos, audio recordings and images capable of misleading voters. Such material can spread rapidly through social media and other digital platforms, potentially reaching large audiences before election authorities, journalists or fact-checkers have an opportunity to verify or correct it.
The concern extends beyond completely fabricated material. Manipulated clips, old footage presented as current events and genuine information placed in a false context can also create confusion and weaken public confidence. Recent Nigerian election-related fact-checking has identified such tactics, including manipulated audio and false claims about electoral developments.
According to INEC, the problem is particularly serious because false information about voting procedures, election dates, accreditation, results or alleged electoral irregularities can influence public behaviour and perceptions even when the underlying claims are untrue.
The commission said its response will involve a five-point strategy that includes integrating technology and communication planning, establishing a rapid-response mechanism capable of addressing falsehoods within the same news cycle, communicating known vulnerabilities and safeguards in advance, strengthening cooperation with media scholars, fact-checkers and technology platforms, and investing continuously in public media literacy.
INEC is also reviewing the resilience of its electoral technology ahead of the 2027 polls. Amupitan disclosed that the commission is conducting a comprehensive audit of its technology systems, including assessments of system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster-recovery arrangements. The commission is also considering a mock presidential election to test its preparedness under conditions designed to resemble election-day operations.
The preparations come after Nigeria's experience with technology during the 2023 general elections. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) were introduced to improve aspects of accreditation and results transparency, but concerns over the performance and communication surrounding electoral technology also affected public confidence. INEC has therefore acknowledged that technology must not only be deployed but must work reliably and be properly explained to voters.
The commission has already identified the information space as an important battleground for future elections. In earlier remarks, Amupitan warned that misinformation, deliberate distortion and foreign information manipulation could undermine even a strong electoral system, urging the media to play a greater role in protecting the integrity of the process.
The warning comes as political activity ahead of the 2027 elections gathers momentum. INEC has fixed January 16, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections and February 6, 2027, for governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections.
With political parties and candidates increasingly using social media to reach voters, the information environment is expected to become more intense as the elections approach. AI-generated material could make that environment even more difficult to navigate because fabricated content can be produced quickly and tailored to particular audiences.
INEC is therefore calling for stronger cooperation among electoral officials, journalists, fact-checkers, technology companies, academics and citizens. The commission's approach is not limited to detecting false content after it has gone viral but also involves providing timely and credible information so that voters have reliable alternatives to misleading narratives.
For voters, the warning reinforces the need to verify election-related claims before sharing them, particularly information concerning voting procedures, election dates, candidates, results and alleged decisions by INEC. The commission has repeatedly advised Nigerians to rely on its official platforms and authorised communication channels for authoritative electoral information.
The challenge facing INEC is therefore not simply technological. Maintaining confidence in the 2027 elections will also depend on the ability of institutions and the wider information ecosystem to ensure that voters can distinguish credible information from manipulated or deliberately false content.
As preparations continue, the commission's warning places AI-driven disinformation alongside other electoral risks already identified by stakeholders, including insecurity, political violence, voter apathy and foreign information manipulation. How effectively these challenges are addressed could have a direct bearing on public confidence in Nigeria's next general election.
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