The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, has declared that algorithms won’t decide the end result of the 2027 normal elections, insisting that the selection of Nigeria’s leaders rests completely with the voters.
Amupitan mentioned synthetic intelligence (AI) could influence the knowledge accessible to voters and form their political choices, but maintained that expertise should stay a device for strengthening democracy slightly than figuring out electoral outcomes.
He spoke on Wednesday in Abuja on the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum, the place he delivered a keynote tackle on safeguarding the 2027 normal elections within the age of AI organized by Yiaga Africa.
“Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote. Algorithms will not decide the vote, because the choice of who leads Nigeria belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people,” he mentioned.
The INEC chairman defined that sovereignty in a constitutional democracy rests with the folks, who train their will via ballots forged at polling models throughout the nation.
He, nonetheless, warned that dismissing the influence of synthetic intelligence could be naive, noting that the expertise could form the knowledge surroundings wherein residents make electoral choices, influence election logistics and alter the methods of political actors.
“While algorithms will not decide the vote, AI will undeniably shape the information environment in which citizens form their choices, influence the speed and security of electoral logistics, and alter the tactics of both democratic actors and anti-democratic disruptors,” he mentioned.
Amupitan mentioned the fee had a duty to make sure that AI was deployed to strengthen electoral integrity whereas defending the method in opposition to manipulation and different rising technological threats.
He recognized deepfakes, artificial media, focused disinformation, automated social media accounts and cyberattacks as potential threats to the credibility of the 2027 elections.
According to him, advances in generative AI have made it simpler to supply convincing faux movies, audio recordings and pictures able to deceptive voters, impersonating election officers and spreading false details about electoral procedures.
He warned that such content material could be used to falsely announce the withdrawal of candidates, flow into faux election postponement notices or make inflammatory statements able to upsetting ethnic and spiritual tensions.
“The greatest threat we face is not the hacking of a ballot box, but the hacking of the voter’s mind,” he mentioned.
The INEC chairman additionally cautioned that AI-powered platforms could exploit voters’ private preferences and vulnerabilities to flow into focused political messages, manipulate public opinion and discourage specific teams from taking part in elections.
He mentioned the fee was growing a digital technique to watch the knowledge surroundings and was partnering with expertise platforms to facilitate the fast debunking of false data and the identification of AI-generated content material regarding electoral processes.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had established a specialised AI unit inside its Information and Communication Technology Directorate to watch digital threats, detect deepfakes and monitor makes an attempt to govern electoral data.
He burdened that crucial electoral selections, together with voter accreditation, end result collation and candidate qualification, wouldn’t be totally automated or delegated to autonomous programs.
“No critical electoral decision, result collation, voter accreditation, or candidate qualification will ever be fully automated or delegated to an autonomous system,” he mentioned, including that human accountability, statutory oversight and judicial evaluation would stay central to the electoral course of.
He additionally urged political events and candidates to commit to moral use of AI by refraining from deploying deepfakes, artificial impersonation, misleading political commercials and automatic accounts to mislead voters or discredit opponents.
The chairman referred to as on expertise corporations to strengthen measures in opposition to the unfold of fabricated electoral content material and guarantee larger transparency in political promoting, significantly the place algorithmic focusing on could exploit delicate traits reminiscent of ethnicity and faith.
He additional urged media organisations to strengthen fact-checking and digital verification mechanisms, warning that the velocity of knowledge dissemination should not take priority over accuracy.
According to him, INEC would work with the National Orientation Agency, civil society organisations and media companions to include AI media literacy into voter schooling programmes, encouraging residents to confirm sensational on-line content material earlier than sharing it.
Amupitan mentioned the 2027 normal elections would contain greater than 103 million registered voters throughout 176,846 polling models within the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
He added that the fee had accomplished 10 of the 14 main operational milestones for the elections, whereas persevering with to modernise its programs and strengthen preparations.
He maintained that expertise could enhance election administration via higher logistics planning, biometric database administration, anomaly detection and cybersecurity, offered its use remained clear and topic to human oversight.
“The 2027 vote will be decided, as it must always be, by the sovereign people of the Federal Republic of Nigeria,” he mentioned.
Amupitan added that INEC’s duty was to make sure that technological instruments supported the credibility of the electoral course of and didn’t undermine the desire of voters.
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