The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will deploy artificial intelligence (AI) to strengthen the verification of election results during the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Tuesday while briefing journalists on the commission’s preparations for the polls.
Amupitan said INEC had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its Information and Communications Technology (ICT) department.
According to him, automated AI auditing tools have already been integrated into the commission’s result verification process.
He said the system would operate under a five-pillar AI governance framework, with mandatory human oversight.
“Artificial intelligence governance. The commission has established a dedicated artificial intelligence division within the ICT departments,” Amupitan said.
“Automated AI auditing tools have been integrated into our result verification process under a five-pillar AI governance framework operating under mandatory human oversight.
“An AI governance framework policy is being finalised by the commission.”
The INEC chairman also disclosed that the commission was working with international technology companies and other partners to deploy AI-powered anomaly detection tools.
He said the technology would monitor database traffic and help protect INEC systems against cyberattacks and unauthorised alterations.
“In partnership with international technology leaders and partners, we’re integrating our AI-driven anomaly detection tools to monitor database traffic and shield our public quarters against cyber intrusions or unauthorised alterations,” he said.
The announcement comes as INEC intensifies preparations for the 2027 elections, including plans for a nationwide mock accreditation exercise to test its electoral systems.
However, the proposed use of AI has generated questions among Nigerians about its specific role in the electoral process.
Some social media users questioned whether the technology would address recurring challenges involving the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), electronic transmission and result collation.
Others raised concerns about areas where poor network connectivity could force voting or collation processes to be conducted manually.
An X user, @EyedBluntTruth, questioned the specific application of AI in the elections and asked whether it would be used to address challenges associated with BVAS and manual processes.
Another user, @Samaila222222, welcomed the initiative but called for stronger assurances over the security of the proposed system.
Meanwhile, @BoluAyos said the key issue was not simply the use of AI but who would control the technology, what data it would access and how its decisions would be independently verified.
The user also stressed the importance of allowing independent observers to audit the system.
Another user, @blackbinbaz, cautioned against excessive reliance on artificial intelligence, arguing that the reliability of AI systems depends largely on the quality of the data supplied to them.
The concerns come as INEC seeks to use technology to improve the credibility, security and transparency of Nigeria’s 2027 electoral process.
