Nigerians, not algorithms, will decide 2027 polls — INEC chairman

The Chairman of Nigeria's Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has affirmed that the decisions of voters will determine the 2027 general elections, and not algorithms. Speaking at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, Amupitan emphasized that algorithms could not dictate the outcome of the polls and must remain subordinate to human judgment and democratic institutions.

While acknowledging that AI would significantly impact the electoral environment by influencing information dissemination, logistics, and the activities of various stakeholders, Amupitan stressed that critical electoral decisions, result collation, voter accreditation, and candidate qualification would never be automated or delegated to autonomous systems.

He highlighted potential benefits of AI, including improving logistics and route planning, assisting in auditing election results, enhancing biometric database management, facilitating voter engagement, and strengthening cybersecurity. However, Amupitan identified several threats to the integrity of the 2027 elections, such as generative AI, deepfakes, algorithmic bias, and automated cyberattacks.

He called for the development of an Electoral Information Integrity Coalition involving various stakeholders to serve as an early-warning network against the spread of AI-generated falsehoods capable of undermining the electoral process.