The European Union has warned that artificial intelligence could be used to undermine trust in Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, even as the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) investigates suspected AI-generated photographs that have appeared in the preliminary voters’ register.
The warnings came at a national summit in Abuja on Monday, November 2, on AI, foreign information manipulation and election information integrity, organised by INEC and the EU Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria (EU-SDGN) programme.
“Without changing a single ballot”
EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, told the summit that an election can be damaged without anyone tampering with the votes themselves. Fake announcements, false results and misleading content, he said, can be enough to wear down public trust in the outcome.
He said AI can be useful for translation, accessibility and communication, but it also makes deception cheaper to produce and harder to spot. He urged Nigeria to prepare before election pressure builds, strengthen partnerships between institutions, media and civil society, and protect free expression while defending reliable election information. Voters, he stressed, must be able to make choices based on credible information.
INEC: deepfakes could disenfranchise voters
INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan said fake videos and cloned voices impersonating election officials or candidates could cause confusion, damage confidence and even stop people from voting.
He said the commission is upgrading its technical systems and building tools for deepfake detection, content verification and quick public clarification. INEC is also working with social media platforms on rapid-response arrangements. He called on journalists to put verification first and on civil society groups to promote digital literacy, especially in rural areas.
Speaking for Information Minister Mohammed Idris, Nigerian Press Council Executive Secretary Dili Ezughah said election integrity is not only about voting and counting but also about the quality of information citizens receive before, during and after the polls.
268 suspicious records on the register
The summit took place against the backdrop of a growing row over the voters’ register itself.
INEC’s Director of ICT, Lawrence Bayode, said on Channels Television that the commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) had flagged 268 voter records over suspected AI-generated photos or other irregularities. The commission is reviewing each record before deciding what to remove.
Bayode said some people appeared to have abused the special registration option meant for persons with missing fingers, using official credentials to create questionable profiles. He added that photos merely touched up with phone AI filters will not be deleted. Only images confirmed to be entirely AI-generated will be removed.
Concerns grew after INEC published the preliminary register online on October 26 and screenshots of strange-looking photos, some reportedly linked to parts of Edo State, spread on social media. Other complaints include alleged duplicate registrations and dead people appearing on the list.
SERAP demands data-breach probe
The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has asked President Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to investigate whether voters’ personal data was unlawfully altered.
In an open letter, SERAP also urged INEC to carry out a forensic examination of its registration database, establish whether officials misused their access, publish its findings and hold those responsible to account. The group gave a seven-day deadline and threatened legal action if nothing is done.
What happens next
INEC says the preliminary register is not final and that cleaning is ongoing. The final register is due to be certified on December 15, 2026, ahead of the 2027 polls. Voters are encouraged to check their details and report errors through INEC’s official channels.
Sources: Voice of Nigeria, The Sun, SERAP via allAfrica, Channels TV.
