The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said artificial intelligence and algorithms will not determine the outcome of the 2027 general elections, stressing that the power to choose Nigeria’s leaders rests with voters.
Mr Amupitan stated this on Wednesday at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, organised by INEC and Yiaga Africa. The forum was themed, “Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
The INEC chairman acknowledged that AI would increasingly influence the electoral environment, particularly the way information is circulated, election logistics are managed and political campaigns are conducted.
However, he insisted that technology would remain subordinate to human judgment and democratic institutions.
“Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote,” Mr Amupitan said.
He added that algorithms could predict patterns, optimise routes and suggest preferences, but “they do not have a conscience, they do not have a country, and they do not have a vote.”
According to him, the choice of who governs Nigeria belongs exclusively to Nigerians.
103 million voters, 176,846 polling units
Mr Amupitan described the 2027 elections as the largest democratic exercise on the African continent.
He said INEC would conduct elections for more than 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units in 774 local government areas.
The elections will cover the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Houses of Assembly contests.
The chairman disclosed that INEC had completed 10 of the 14 major operational milestones outlined under the Electoral Act 2026.
He also said the commission had procured additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System devices, digitised candidate nominations through the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal and processed more than 15,000 nominations across 22 political parties.
Online voter registration is also among the initiatives introduced by the commission to improve electoral administration.
AI to assist, not replace human decisions
The INEC chairman said artificial intelligence could improve election logistics and route planning, assist in auditing results, strengthen biometric database management, facilitate voter engagement in multiple languages and improve cybersecurity.
He, however, stressed that critical electoral decisions would not be handed over to automated systems.
“No critical electoral decision, result collation, voter accreditation, or candidate qualification will ever be fully automated or delegated to an autonomous system.”
Mr Amupitan said human accountability, statutory oversight and judicial review would remain central throughout the electoral process.
INEC warns of deepfakes, synthetic media
The chairman identified generative AI, deepfakes, synthetic media, targeted political advertising, algorithmic bias and automated cyberattacks as major threats to the credibility of the 2027 elections.
He warned that fabricated audio, videos and images could mislead voters and undermine confidence in genuine electoral information.
“The greatest threat we face is not the hacking of a ballot box, but the hacking of the voter’s mind.”
Mr Amupitan said if voters could no longer distinguish between truth and synthetic lies, the foundation of informed electoral choice would be weakened.
INEC deploys AI tools against disinformation
The development follows INEC’s earlier disclosure that it was deploying AI-powered tools to detect anomalies in election results and combat disinformation ahead of the 2027 polls.
The commission has established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its Information and Communications Technology Directorate, with automated AI auditing tools integrated into its results-verification process.
Mr Amupitan said the AI unit was equipped with digital monitoring tools, deepfake detection software and data analytics capabilities to identify technical threats and attempts to manipulate electoral information.
The commission’s AI governance framework requires human oversight.
INEC seeks stronger digital safeguards
Mr Amupitan called on political parties to adopt an ethical code of conduct for the use of AI during the elections.
He also urged civil society organisations to examine algorithmic transparency and monitor digital campaign spending, while security agencies and judicial officers should strengthen their capacity for cybercrime investigations and digital forensics.
The INEC chairman asked media organisations to establish digital forensic desks to verify user-generated content before publication or broadcast.
He also proposed an Electoral Information Integrity Coalition involving INEC, civil society groups, the Nigerian Guild of Editors, the Nigeria Fact-Checking Coalition, media organisations and telecommunications operators.
The proposed coalition would operate as an early-warning network against AI-generated falsehoods capable of undermining the electoral process.
‘The voice of the people must rise above the machines’
Mr Amupitan said the final outcome of the 2027 elections would be determined by Nigerians across different communities and occupations, including market women, farmers, teachers, technology entrepreneurs, fishermen and students.
“On election day in 2027, it will be the thumbprint of the Nigerian citizen, guided by their own will and their own hopes, that decides our future.”
He said INEC’s responsibility was to ensure that the voice of voters was heard clearly despite the growing influence of technology.
The commission is acknowledging that AI will play a major role in the 2027 election environment, but says technology will not replace voters, electoral officials or legally established safeguards. The bigger challenge will be preventing deepfakes, manipulated information and targeted digital campaigns from influencing voters before they reach the polling unit.
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