Susan Abayomi
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has raised concerns over delayed funding for the 2027 general elections and warned that artificial intelligence-driven disinformation could pose a serious threat to the credibility of the polls.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, disclosed the concerns in a keynote address delivered on his behalf by National Commissioner Sani Adam, SAN, at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) in Abuja.
The conference focused on the theme, “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication.”
Amupitan said the commission had proposed a substantial budget for the 2027 general elections, including significant allocations for technology and election operations, but was still awaiting the full release of the funds.
He said the funding was particularly important for preparations involving electoral technology, including the procurement of new accreditation devices to replace those lost or damaged during the previous election cycle.
Despite the funding challenge, the INEC chairman said preparations for the 2027 elections were continuing, noting that the commission’s ICT team had already begun engagements with manufacturers on the procurement of the required devices.
He explained that the commission was also undertaking a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems, including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery planning.
According to him, INEC is also considering conducting a mock presidential election ahead of 2027 to test accreditation, result transmission and results-viewing processes under conditions similar to those of election day.
Amupitan, however, warned that even a technically flawless election would not be sufficient to protect the credibility of the 2027 polls if voters were exposed to widespread false information.
He identified the growing sophistication of generative artificial intelligence as a major emerging threat, noting that AI tools have made it increasingly easy and inexpensive to produce convincing fake audio, video and images.
He warned that fabricated political content could be used to falsely portray election officials, candidates or electoral processes, potentially misleading voters and undermining confidence in genuine election results.
The INEC chairman said the challenge was particularly serious because false information could spread rapidly across digital platforms, making it difficult for citizens to distinguish authentic information from manipulated content.
He stressed that the threat went beyond individual fake stories, warning that sustained disinformation could gradually erode the shared confidence needed for citizens to accept legitimate election outcomes.
Amupitan therefore called for electoral technology and communication to be treated as interconnected aspects of election management.
He said the credibility of the electoral process depended not only on the reliability of systems such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), but also on how accurately and promptly information about those systems was communicated to the public.
Reflecting on the 2023 elections, he acknowledged that technological challenges, including delays in uploading results, contributed to public doubts about the electoral process.
He said INEC was consequently taking steps to identify and address potential weaknesses before the 2027 elections rather than waiting for problems to emerge on election day.
The commission also plans to strengthen its ability to monitor digital platforms and respond quickly to false claims about the electoral process.
Amupitan said INEC must become a continuously present and trusted source of information, particularly on the same digital platforms where misinformation and disinformation circulate.
He emphasised that transparency about the commission’s operations and resources would also be essential to counter false narratives and strengthen public confidence ahead of the elections.
According to INEC’s official election timetable, the presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, 2027, while the governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for February 6, 2027.
With preparations already underway, INEC’s warnings highlight the importance of adequate funding, reliable electoral technology, effective communication and public awareness in ensuring that the 2027 elections are conducted credibly and that voters can trust the information surrounding the electoral process.
