THE Independent National Electoral Commission’s proposed use of artificial intelligence (AI) ahead of the 2027 general elections has sparked debate.
The ICIR reported that the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, said AI would not determine the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, amid growing public concerns about the commission’s plans to deploy the technology in the electoral process.
Amupitan said the will of the electorate must remain central to the country’s democratic process, insisting that no algorithm should determine who emerges as Nigeria’s elected leaders.
The INEC chairman added the commission was preparing for an election involving more than 103 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units across 774 local government areas, and multiple ballots for presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state assembly elections.
However, his assurances have not settled questions about the specific role AI will play in the elections, the legal framework governing its deployment, and whether Nigeria’s electoral and digital infrastructure can support any proposed technology without undermining public confidence.
Amupitan also announced the introduction of online voter registration, describing it as a new development in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Nigerians took to social media to question why INEC was considering AI when basic electoral processes, including the transparent transmission of polling-unit results, remain contentious.
Some critics alleged that the proposed technology could be used to manipulate the 2027 polls.
The African Democratic Congress (ADC), through its National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, alleged that INEC was planning to deploy AI to manipulate the elections in favour of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).
He questioned why the commission would consider AI without first testing its effectiveness in off-cycle elections.
“Why did INEC not test-run AI in the Osun polls?” he queried, arguing that the proposed deployment raised concerns about the commission’s preparedness.
Another critic on X, identified as Uba, questioned why AI was needed to transmit election results, insisting that INEC should concentrate on ensuring that its existing Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) work effectively.
“AI is not needed to count votes, transmit results, or declare winners. What Nigerians need is simple: BVAS and IReV working properly, results uploaded in real time, and every polling unit result available for public verification,” he wrote.
Augustine opined, “It just to manufacture numbers that adds up. Who does not know their intent?,”
Another user identified as Obi also penned his thoughts, “Nigerians have unambiguously rejected his use of AI coupled with the fact that it’s not backed by law, so why is he still preaching and pushing it if his agenda is genuine?
This is not the time to start experimenting with a new technology. I wonder why this is so difficult for him to understand.
Amaechina shared similar views. According to the user, AI should not be used in elections. Amaechina suggested that if INEC fancies technology, live transmission is available for the elections.
In her view, another X user, Bebe wrote, “INEC chairman. fear the Lord Creator and do yourself the good to do what is right. The masses are not sleeping. We are awake and watching. Our eyes are on you. No need to shout, Time will tell. Don’t rig our election using AI as a new excuse.”
For Sarki, Nigeria has suddenly got network to deploy AI in its elections “Amupitan you are warned not to use yourself in 2027 general elections. We don’t need AI Automated system to verify or compute our election results. That is the new formula to rig the election,” he wrote.
In his opinion, Rawlings urged opposition leaders to be wary of AI deployment in the polls. “Pertinent questions needs to be asked as to how and what the AI will do,” he noted.
Daniel Chinedu asked INEC a question he felt was relevant. “You want to use AI that you don’t know anything about. What happened to the BVAS and IREV? Real live transmission of results is what we need.”
Other commenters expressed concerns about the availability of reliable internet connectivity, the transparency of AI systems and the possibility of electoral manipulation.
The reactions underline the need for INEC to distinguish clearly between using AI to improve election administration and deploying technology in ways that could affect voting, result transmission or collation.
Some of the critics also raised concerns about the introduction of online voting, ponting to the controversies surrounding electronic voting in the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA).
The ICIR reports that during the NBA’s national officers’ election on July 18, 2026, voting was delayed after the association’s Electoral Committee said its electronic voting platform had been subjected to a coordinated cyberattack.
The committee said its technical team activated security measures to restore the platform, and voting subsequently commenced. However, lawyers reported difficulties accessing the system, receiving authentication credentials and casting their ballots.
The controversy generated complaints about technical failures, alleged voter disenfranchisement and the credibility of the process.
The concerns persisted after the election. One of the presidential candidates, Lateef Akangbe, subsequently challenged the result and sought a fresh election, alleging irregularities that included platform malfunctions, non-receipt of one-time passwords by eligible voters and the use of multiple voting websites.
If a professional association with a defined membership register and an electronic voting platform can encounter technical glitches and disputes, critics argue that INEC must demonstrate how any proposed technology would function reliably on a much larger and more diverse scale.
Critics said the case demonstrates that technical security, voter access, transparency and independent verification remain essential to public confidence in digital elections when viewed against Nigeria’s uneven telecommunications infrastructure.
Although mobile and internet services have expanded across the country, access to reliable connectivity remains unequal, particularly between urban centres and rural communities.
The Nigerian Communications Commission (NCC) acknowledged persistent gaps in network performance between urban and rural areas, including locations where weak or unstable signals continue to affect users. Its network performance reports identify rural connectivity, service quality and underserved locations as continuing priorities.
Nanji is an investigative journalist with the ICIR. She has years of experience in reporting and broadcasting human angle stories, gender inequalities, minority stories, and human rights issues. She has documented sexual war crimes in armed conflict, sex for grades in Nigerian Universities, harmful traditional practices and human trafficking.