Political analyst Darlington Agomuo has criticised the Independent National Electoral Commission over its planned deployment of Artificial Intelligence in the 2027 elections, describing INEC Chairman, Prof Mahmood Yakubu, as “overprepared” for the polls.
Mr Agomuo made the remarks during VOP This Morning’s programme on Voice of the People TV, where he questioned the commission’s decision to introduce AI into the electoral process when existing systems such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the INEC Results Viewing Portal are yet to be fully perfected.
Mr Agomuo argued that INEC should concentrate on implementing the systems already recognised under the country’s electoral framework instead of introducing additional technologies.
“What is the essence of bringing in another technology when the ones we have are not even perfected?” he asked.
He described the proposed AI deployment as part of what he called Yakubu’s “over preparedness”, arguing that introducing technological features outside the provisions of the Electoral Act could create unnecessary complications.
Mr Agomuo also jokingly referred to Artificial Intelligence as “Alternative Intelligence” while questioning whether the technology was necessary for validating election results.
‘Stick to what the law provides’
According to the analyst, INEC should focus on the established process involving paper ballots, BVAS accreditation, IReV result uploads and signed polling-unit result sheets.
“The Electoral Act has told us what to do. We have the paper, we have BVAS, we have IReV and we have the result sheet,” Mr Agomuo said.
He maintained that the priority should be to ensure these processes work properly and transparently rather than adding another layer of technology to the election.
Analyst raises legal concerns
Mr Agomuo also questioned the legal basis for INEC’s proposed use of AI, arguing that the National Assembly has not amended the Electoral Act to specifically authorise the technology.
“You cannot just wake up and say you are going to introduce AI into the electoral process when the National Assembly has not amended the law to accommodate it,” he argued.
He said INEC must operate within the limits of the law and should not independently introduce mechanisms that could ultimately affect the credibility of election results.
Agomuo accuses INEC of preparing excuses
The political analyst further alleged that the emphasis on new technology could provide INEC with explanations for possible failures during the 2027 elections.
He questioned why the commission was adding new systems when existing electoral technology had yet to command full public confidence.
“Are you preparing the election or are you preparing excuses for the election?” Mr Agomuo asked.
He said any technological failure during the polls could subsequently be attributed to glitches, leaving voters with little ability to independently verify what happened.
Agomuo questions 103 million voter figure
Mr Agomuo also expressed doubts over INEC’s reported figure of about 103 million registered voters ahead of the 2027 elections.
He questioned the credibility of the figure and raised concerns about the distribution of registered voters across the country, particularly the numbers recorded in some northern states.
“When you begin to see figures that are not realistic, you begin to ask questions,” he said.
Mr Agomuo alleged that inflated voter figures in political strongholds could eventually be used to justify inflated results during the general elections.
He compared the situation with figures sometimes presented during party primaries, arguing that questionable figures established before an election could later be relied upon to support questionable results.
Mr Agomuo’s comments come as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 general elections, with voter registration, electoral technology and compliance with the Electoral Act likely to remain major areas of public scrutiny.
For voters, the debate goes beyond whether AI should be used. It also raises questions about whether existing systems can provide a transparent chain from accreditation and voting to the announcement and verification of results.
As political activities gather momentum ahead of 2027, the credibility of the voters’ register and the reliability of technologies such as BVAS and IReV are expected to remain central to public confidence in the electoral process.
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