2027 Elections: Ex-INEC Commissioner Warns Against Unregulated AI Use in Results Management
A former National Commissioner of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Okechukwu Ibeanu, has urged the commission to establish clear rules for using artificial intelligence (AI) in election administration ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Ibeanu warned that deploying AI to manage election results without adequate safeguards could weaken public confidence in the electoral process. He called on INEC to publish its AI governance framework and explain how the technology would be monitored, audited and used.
He raised particular concerns about plans to use AI to extract figures from physical EC8A polling-unit result sheets and transfer them into electronic formats.
Ibeanu spoke during a plenary session titled “Governing AI in Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguards, Accountability and Elections Integrity” at the AI and Democracy Forum in Abuja.
Yiaga Africa organised the forum in partnership with INEC, Microsoft, TikTok, the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID), Dataphyte, the MacArthur Foundation, the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES), the German Agency for International Cooperation (GIZ) and other organisations.
Ibeanu urges INEC to introduce AI regulations
Ibeanu rejected suggestions that INEC had insufficient time to establish rules before the 2027 elections.
He argued that the commission could introduce preliminary guidelines immediately while developing a more comprehensive framework.
According to him, Section 151 of the Electoral Act provides INEC with powers to issue regulations, guidelines and manuals for administering the law. He also cited Section 160 of the Constitution, which addresses the commission’s autonomy in regulating its internal affairs.
The former commissioner said INEC had developed a two-year roadmap for adopting AI, with governance identified as a key component.
He also disclosed that he was involved in establishing the commission’s AI division in 2025. He urged the current leadership to implement the roadmap and provide more information about its plans.
Ibeanu added that the proposed governance arrangements included a committee expected to have civil society representation. However, he called on INEC to clarify the committee’s responsibilities and explain how members of the public could scrutinise its decisions.
Questions raised over electronic EC8A result sheets
The use of AI in election results management was one of Ibeanu’s main concerns.
He questioned how an electronic version of the EC8A result sheet would relate to the original document completed and signed at each polling unit.
He also asked what would happen if the figures extracted by AI differed from those recorded on the physical result sheet.
According to Ibeanu, INEC must establish clear procedures for identifying discrepancies, deciding which records should take precedence and resolving disputes transparently.
He further called for clarification on how AI-generated figures would be transmitted, verified and processed during result collation.
The former commissioner warned against relying too heavily on external technology vendors without developing sufficient internal expertise.
He argued that election officials must understand the systems they deploy and maintain responsibility for decisions made with their assistance.
Yiaga Africa demands publication of INEC’s AI framework
Cynthia Mbamalu, Director of Programmes at Yiaga Africa, also called on INEC to publish its AI governance framework ahead of the elections.
She said political parties, civil society organisations, journalists and other stakeholders needed enough information to assess how technology would affect the electoral process.
Mbamalu specifically called for a comprehensive results management protocol covering every stage, from polling-unit results to final collation.
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She said the document should identify the officials responsible for verifying results, explain how anomalies would be flagged and outline procedures for resolving discrepancies.
She also advocated independent audits of INEC’s systems before election day.
In addition, she urged the commission to extend its planned stress tests beyond voter accreditation to include the uploading and transmission of election results.
Mbamalu raised concerns about cyberattacks targeting electoral infrastructure. She called for stronger election security measures while warning against regulations that could restrict freedom of expression, suppress dissent or discourage innovation.
She also urged technology companies to work with electoral stakeholders to address AI-generated misinformation and other online threats beyond INEC’s direct control.
IFES warns against relying blindly on AI vendors
Lisa Poggiali, Chief AI Adviser at IFES, said effective AI governance requires cooperation among electoral bodies, technology experts, policymakers and oversight institutions.
She noted that principles such as transparency, accessibility, inclusion, integrity and respect for human rights must translate into practical safeguards for technology procurement and deployment.
Poggiali warned that technology vendors might make claims about their AI systems’ accuracy that election officials cannot independently verify.
She therefore called for transparent procurement processes, independent model audits and documented procedures for handling anomalies identified by automated systems.
She also stressed that human officials must retain responsibility for important decisions involving AI. Identifiable personnel should review irregularities and document how they are resolved.
Poggiali added that different AI models could produce different results because they rely on different algorithms and training data.
For this reason, she urged election administrators to understand how their systems work before adopting them. She also cautioned against using AI in every aspect of election management without first identifying a clear need.
AI-generated misinformation poses additional election risks
Sami Suleiman of Paradigm Initiative highlighted the potential effects of AI-generated disinformation, deepfakes and manipulated election results on voter participation.
He warned that old videos showing attacks or violence could resurface online and be presented as recent events. Such misinformation could frighten voters and discourage them from participating in elections.
Suleiman also raised concerns about genuine evidence being dismissed as AI-generated, weaknesses in social media moderation and inconsistent enforcement of online rules, particularly for African languages.
He called for a risk-based approach to AI governance that includes independent oversight, rapid-response mechanisms, system audits, enforcement procedures and avenues for appeal.
He further warned that some AI systems used in Africa rely on datasets that may not adequately represent local populations. This could increase the risk of discrimination and unreliable results.
Transparency seen as critical to public confidence
The concerns raised at the Abuja forum highlight the growing debate over the role of AI in Nigeria’s electoral process.
Although the technology could support some administrative tasks, the speakers stressed that its use must be guided by clear rules, independent scrutiny and accountable decision-making.
For INEC, publishing its proposed framework and explaining how electronic results would be checked against original polling-unit records could help stakeholders assess the system before the elections.
As preparations for the 2027 polls continue, questions about AI governance, cybersecurity, misinformation and results verification are likely to remain important to discussions about electoral integrity.
The central challenge will be ensuring that any technology adopted by the commission supports accurate results management without undermining transparency or public trust.
