The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has urged President Bola Tinubu to direct the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to investigate suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs and alleged alterations to personal data in the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) preliminary Register of Voters.
In a letter dated Oct. 31 and signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, SERAP asked the NDPC to establish the extent of the irregularities, determine whether they violated the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and identify those responsible.
“INEC’s acknowledgement of questionable records and suspected AI-generated photographs makes an independent investigation particularly important,” SERAP said, adding that Nigerians needed to know whether the law had been breached and what steps were being taken to prevent a recurrence.
The organisation called for an independent forensic examination of INEC’s voter registration database to determine whether personal records were unlawfully accessed or altered and whether registration officers misused their authorised credentials.
It also asked the NDPC to establish whether the incidents constituted a personal data breach under Section 65 of the Act and whether INEC complied with its reporting and record-keeping obligations.
SERAP cited provisions of the law requiring personal data to be processed accurately and securely and called for the publication of the investigation’s findings and appropriate corrective measures.
It said affected voters must be allowed to verify and correct their details without being unfairly excluded from the electoral process.
The organisation gave Tinubu seven days to act, warning that it would consider legal action if the government and relevant agencies failed to address its demands.
INEC, in a statement issued Oct. 27, acknowledged concerns over suspected AI-generated photographs in the preliminary register.
It said questionable records were identified during the nationwide display of the register from Oct. 9 to 15 and that a review was underway.
The commission said the online register did not reflect all ongoing data-cleanup activities and that it was examining the circumstances surrounding the suspicious photographs, including possible technical or procedural lapses.
INEC said the preliminary register was not the final certified document and that verification and data-cleanup exercises would be completed before the final register is certified on Dec. 15, 2026.
SERAP said INEC’s internal review should not replace an independent investigation by the NDPC, warning that any unlawful alteration of voter records could undermine confidence in the electoral process and expose eligible Nigerians to wrongful exclusion ahead of the 2027 general elections.
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