The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that artificial intelligence (AI) will not determine the outcome of the 2027 general elections, insisting that voters alone will decide who leads the country.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the assurance at the AI and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, where he explained the commission’s plans to use technology to improve electoral operations.
Amupitan said AI would support election planning, logistics and result verification but would not replace the decisions of voters.
He explained that AI-powered tools, including geospatial analysis and predictive modelling, could help INEC improve the distribution of election materials and reduce delays during voting.
The INEC chairman noted that technologies such as facial recognition and fingerprint identification, already used in the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), contain AI components.
He disclosed that the commission had established a dedicated AI division to strengthen cybersecurity and support result verification, with human oversight remaining central to the process.
Amupitan added that INEC was developing an AI governance policy to ensure responsible use of the technology while protecting the credibility and integrity of the 2027 elections.