The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns over the growing use of artificial intelligence (AI) to create fake election results, deepfake videos and manipulated audio ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
The commission warned that the rapid development of generative AI had introduced a new challenge to electoral communication, with fabricated materials increasingly capable of appearing authentic and spreading widely before they can be verified.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, raised the concern in Abuja during a capacity-building workshop for the commission’s Public Affairs Officers (PAOs).
Amupitan, who was represented by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, said the threat was already becoming part of Nigeria’s electoral environment and should not be regarded as a future possibility.
The workshop was organised under the theme, “Strengthening PAOs Capacity for Credible, Verified and Responsible Election Communication Towards 2027.”
According to the INEC chairman, the increasing sophistication of artificial intelligence has made it cheaper and more difficult to detect manipulated audio, video and images.
“Generative AI has made it cheaper and considerably harder to detect manipulated audio, video and images. Its misuse extends beyond fabricated content to targeted messaging capable of dividing voters along conflicting narratives,” he said.
Amupitan said the challenge went beyond the manipulation of election-related photographs and videos, noting that AI could also be used to generate targeted narratives capable of influencing how voters perceive candidates, political parties and electoral developments.
He stressed that the integrity of an election now extended beyond activities at polling units and the collation of results.
“Election credibility today no longer depends only on ballot papers, BVAS machines and result sheets, but equally on the information environment in which voters form their judgments,” he said.
“Electoral technology and electoral communication should be treated not as separate concerns but as a single discipline.”
The warning comes as political parties, candidates, voters and other stakeholders prepare for the 2027 elections.
INEC has scheduled the presidential and National Assembly elections for February 20, 2027, while the governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are scheduled for March 6, 2027.
Amupitan said the volume of information concerning INEC and the electoral process would increase significantly as the elections approached.
He therefore urged public affairs officers to verify information thoroughly, respond promptly to false claims and ensure consistency in the commission’s official communication.
INEC’s Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Victoria Eta-Messi, also emphasised the importance of the commission’s communication officers in shaping public understanding of electoral activities.
“It is through you that Nigerians form much of their impression of who we are, what we stand for, and how reliable our information is,” she told participants.
Eta-Messi said INEC operated under constant public scrutiny and frequently faced attempts to misrepresent its activities.
She disclosed that additional capacity-building programmes were being planned to strengthen the ability of the commission’s communication personnel to manage the challenges expected during the 2027 election cycle.
The concerns over AI-generated misinformation are not limited to INEC.
Media stakeholders have also warned that artificial intelligence could create significant challenges for journalists and voters if fabricated election information begins circulating during critical stages of the electoral process.
The warning was contained in a communiqué issued after the eighth Bagauda Kaltho Media Lecture Series organised by the Africa Media Development Foundation (AMDF).
The lecture, held on September 19, 2026, focused on journalism, press freedom and election misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Participants identified fabricated election results, deepfake videos and manipulated audio recordings among the emerging threats to Nigeria’s electoral information environment.
They warned that false information could spread across social media platforms faster than professional newsrooms and fact-checkers could verify and counter it.
The risk could become particularly acute on election days, when voters, political parties and the wider public rely heavily on information from polling units and collation centres.
A fabricated election result presented as genuine, for instance, could circulate widely before official figures are announced. Similarly, manipulated video or audio could falsely attribute statements to a candidate, INEC official or political party.
The stakeholders therefore called for stronger verification mechanisms within newsrooms and increased investment in training journalists in fact-checking, digital verification, artificial intelligence and investigative journalism.
They also urged technology companies and digital platforms to collaborate with media organisations, civil society groups and relevant government institutions to develop more effective mechanisms for detecting manipulated and AI-generated content.
With the 2027 elections approaching, INEC and media stakeholders are increasingly emphasising the need for verified information as a critical component of electoral credibility, alongside the integrity of voting, collation and result management processes.
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