INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, disclosed this on Wednesday during a webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation.
The webinar, titled ‘AI, Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote’, examined the implications of artificial intelligence and misinformation for the country’s electoral process.
Haruna, who is also Chairman of INEC’s Information and Voter Education Committee, described the development as a major challenge facing the commission.
He acknowledged that INEC had limited control over individuals who manipulate or enhance their photographs before uploading them to the voters’ register but said the commission was taking action against cases involving its personnel.
“We have already seen one of the challenges, which is that a lot of AI-generated photographs were posted onto the voters’ register, which, as we have said, we have had to take down,” he said.
The commissioner explained that although it could be difficult to prevent members of the public from altering their photographs before submission, the commission had greater control over its own officials.
“But the ones involving our own staff, where it is our own staff that did so, that one is within our control. We are in the process of addressing it. They have been flagged,” he added.
Haruna disclosed that the commission had identified the names of the officials involved across about 10 states, noting that they would face disciplinary measures.
“We have their names across about 10 states, and obviously, they are going to face disciplinary action,” he said.
On INEC’s preparedness to regulate artificial intelligence in the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections, Haruna revealed that the commission had developed an AI policy but was still working towards finalising it.
He said the rapidly evolving nature of artificial intelligence presented new regulatory challenges, adding that even advanced democracies were still working to establish comprehensive frameworks for managing the technology.
“As you know very well, it is new territory out there. Even the most advanced countries don’t have what you might call concrete, specific policies about AI because these things are evolving,” he said.
The commission’s disclosure comes amid growing concerns about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence in electoral processes, particularly the manipulation of digital images and the spread of misleading information ahead of the 2027 general elections.
