Obidient Movement Opposes INEC's AI Plans for 2027 Elections

The Obidient Movement has formally rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission's (INEC) proposal to utilize Artificial Intelligence (AI) for the management and verification of results in the upcoming 2027 general elections. In a statement released on Wednesday, signed by Media and Communications Director Onyeka Dike, the movement criticized the plan as “reckless and unacceptable,” arguing that it is inappropriate to introduce AI when the regulatory framework for its use is still under development.

The movement emphasized the need for a transparent, auditable, and verifiable results management system, especially in light of the controversies surrounding the 2023 elections. They raised concerns regarding INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan's warning against announcing unofficial results, suggesting that this, combined with the AI deployment, casts doubt on INEC's approach.

The Obidient Movement also alleged that Amupitan was in France with President Bola Tinubu and others strategizing for the elections and called for INEC to abandon AI plans and publish a clear, independently auditable framework for any technology used in the elections.