The chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has defended the use of artificial intelligence in elections, arguing that the technology can strengthen democracy as long as humans stay in control. He insisted that algorithms will not decide the outcome of the 2027 general election.
Note: I couldn’t open the Vanguard article itself, so this piece draws on other outlets’ coverage of Amupitan’s recent remarks. If the Vanguard report covers a newer speech, some details may differ.
A forum on safeguarding the 2027 polls
Amupitan spoke in Abuja at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026, organised with Yiaga Africa under the theme “Safeguarding the 2027 General Election in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” The forum ran from October 14 to 16.
He told delegates that Nigeria must accept the realities of AI while making sure it serves democracy rather than controls it. The decision on who governs, he said, belongs to citizens acting through established laws and institutions, not to the capabilities of any technology.
The chairman said public discussion of AI often slides into alarmism, and that INEC does not look at the technology only as a risk. He pointed to practical uses, including predictive planning for election logistics, support for auditing results, management of biometric databases and communication with voters in several languages.
He noted that AI components are already built into some tools the commission uses, such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS). Election bodies, he argued, cannot realistically avoid AI, so the task is to build the security safeguards needed to use it responsibly and keep public trust.
At a press conference on October 6, Amupitan announced a dedicated AI division within INEC’s information and communication technology department. The unit is meant to support result verification and strengthen cybersecurity ahead of the 2027 elections. He said it has real-time monitoring tools, deepfake detection software and data analytics expertise to track technical threats and the manipulation of information.
INEC has set out five principles for its AI work: human oversight, transparency and accountability, data protection and privacy, cybersecurity and risk management, and operational value and public trust. The commission is still finalising its formal AI governance policy. Amupitan has also said the commission is working with technology partners, including Microsoft and Google, to build its capacity.
Not everyone accepts the assurances. The Obidient Movement and Yoruba Ronu have rejected INEC’s AI plan and warned against it, pointing out that the governance framework was still being completed. Separately, Atiku Abubakar has demanded a forensic audit over claims that millions of AI-generated images may be in the voter register, an allegation INEC has contested.
Amupitan has also warned that AI-driven disinformation, foreign information manipulation and gaps in logistics could threaten credible elections. He has said technology alone cannot fix voter apathy, and has urged the media not to declare results before INEC does, stressing that only the commission has the legal authority to announce them.
The coming months will show whether INEC’s safeguards persuade a sceptical public. The commission has promised human oversight at every stage, but the finalised AI governance policy, and how openly INEC explains its tools, will matter a great deal for trust in the 2027 result.