INEC's Joash Amupitan Introduces AI for Election Integrity

Prof. Joash Amupitan, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), announced the commission's initiative to deploy artificial intelligence tools aimed at detecting discrepancies and administrative errors in election results as Nigeria approaches its 2027 general elections. Speaking at the 24th All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu, Amupitan highlighted the need for robust defenses against AI-generated disinformation, which poses a risk of undermining public confidence in electoral outcomes.

He detailed the establishment of a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within INEC's ICT Department, along with an AI Roadmap and Governance Framework focused on human oversight, transparency, and accountability. The commission is also collaborating with Microsoft and Google to enhance cybersecurity resilience and protect cloud infrastructure.

Amupitan warned that synthetic disinformation could create perceptions of electoral fraud, eroding trust in legitimate results. He stressed that AI must complement constitutional institutions and that all automated checks will be subject to human auditing and legal verification.