Nigeria: INEC Must Brace Up for Ai Threat

The warning by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) about artificial intelligence-driven misinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections deserves serious attention. The commission is right to recognise that generative AI has added a new and potentially disruptive dimension to electoral communication.

INEC says manipulated audio, video and images can now be produced more cheaply and are increasingly difficult to distinguish from authentic material. It has also warned about targeted messaging that exposes different groups of voters to conflicting narratives. Such content can spread rapidly on social media, reaching millions of people before it is verified or debunked.

This is particularly worrying in Nigeria, where the credibility of elections remains a persistent concern. The 2023 polls showed both the value and the limitations of technology in election management. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) were intended to strengthen confidence, yet technical difficulties and communication gaps also fuelled public doubt.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan (SAN), has himself acknowledged that electoral credibility now depends not only on the ballot, BVAS and result sheets, but also on the information environment in which voters form their judgments. He has called for electoral technology and communication to be treated as interconnected aspects of election management.

The concern is not theoretical. False claims and misleading narratives already featured in the 2023 elections. Subsequent examinations of election misinformation by several media outlets documented fake results, fabricated claims and other misleading content before and after the polls. With generative AI now more accessible, the next election could face a far more sophisticated version of the same problem.

A fabricated video of an electoral official announcing a non-existent result, a cloned voice attributed to a presidential candidate, or a manipulated image purporting to show election materials could create confusion before the authorities have time to respond. The greater danger is that convincing falsehoods may not merely persuade some voters; they could erode confidence in genuine information once citizens can no longer easily tell what is authentic.

At Daily Trust, we recognise the threat INEC has identified. But recognising a danger is only the first step. The commission must now show that it is adequately prepared to confront it.

The warning must not become a convenient excuse for poor communication or operational failures during the election. The commission cannot sound the alarm about AI-generated falsehoods and then leave Nigerians to navigate the resulting information chaos alone. It must anticipate the likely forms of attack, test its systems, establish clear response mechanisms and communicate quickly whenever false information about the election begins to circulate.

To its credit, INEC says it is auditing its electoral technology systems, including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery planning. It is also considering a mock presidential election to test accreditation, result transmission and result viewing under conditions similar to those of election day. These are steps in the right direction, but they must be followed through comprehensively and transparently.

The commission should also conduct a full threat assessment of the information environment ahead of 2027 and ensure that Nigerians have reliable official channels through which to verify claims about voting, accreditation, polling units and results. Training its Public Affairs Officers in verification, escalation procedures and consistent communication is welcome, but the effort must go beyond workshops. INEC needs communication structures at national and state levels that can respond within the same news cycle when a damaging falsehood emerges.

Where it lacks the necessary expertise or technology, INEC should seek help. Technology companies, cybersecurity experts, fact-checkers, media organisations, communication scholars and civil society groups all have roles to play. The challenge is too significant for the commission to confront in isolation.

The security agencies must prepare as well. AI-generated disinformation can be used not only to deceive voters but also to provoke tension, impersonate officials and manufacture claims of electoral fraud. Electoral, security and communication institutions must therefore coordinate. The National Orientation Agency (NOA) also has an important role. Voter education cannot stop at explaining where, when and how to vote; Nigerians must be taught to recognise suspicious digital content, verify information and distinguish official communication from fabricated material.

The media must also take this responsibility seriously. Editors and journalists cannot afford to amplify a sensational video, audio recording or document simply because it is circulating widely. INEC has recently urged editors to strengthen fact-checking and digital verification, particularly in dealing with deepfakes and privately collated election results.

However, Nigeria must not approach AI as though it makes credible elections impossible. Other countries have continued to hold elections in an age of generative AI. A new technological threat does not remove the duty of electoral authorities to deliver credible elections; it demands better preparation, stronger safeguards and more effective communication.

INEC should therefore be ahead of the technology, not perpetually reacting to it. Every major vulnerability that can reasonably be anticipated before 2027 should be identified and tested before election day.

Most importantly, Nigerians should not be left with the impression that whatever goes wrong in 2027 can be blamed on artificial intelligence.

INEC has done well to identify the threat early. Now it must prove that the warning is part of a serious preparedness strategy.

By Daily Trust.