The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun deploying artificial intelligence tools to detect discrepancies and administrative errors in election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, disclosed this on Thursday at the 24th All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu, where he also outlined measures being taken to strengthen the credibility and security of the electoral process.
According to Amupitan, the commission’s intelligent Results Management process digitises polling unit result forms, extracts data from scanned Form EC8A and compares the figures with information entered into the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
Where discrepancies are detected, the system automatically flags them for review by election officials.
The INEC chairman stressed that the technology would not alter election results or replace human decision-making, but would assist officials by identifying issues that require attention.
He said the commission was also working to strengthen its defences against the misuse of AI in elections, particularly the production and circulation of fake result sheets, cloned voices, manipulated videos and forged official documents.
Amupitan said INEC had engaged technology companies including Microsoft and Google as part of efforts to improve its cybersecurity resilience ahead of the 2027 elections.
The commission has previously said its result management system includes safeguards within BVAS to check mathematical inconsistencies, prevent over-voting and ensure that the number of votes entered does not exceed the number of accredited voters.
INEC has fixed February 20, 2027, for the presidential and National Assembly elections, while governorship and State House of Assembly elections are scheduled for March 6, 2027.
The commission’s latest technology measures come as concerns grow over the potential use of artificial intelligence to spread false information and manipulate voters during the election period.
