The Independent National Electoral Commission has unveiled measures to strengthen the credibility of the 2027 general elections amid growing concerns over artificial intelligence, misinformation and digital manipulation.
The measures were announced at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, which focused on “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication.”
Delivering the keynote address on behalf of INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, National Commissioner Prof. Sani Muhammad Adam, SAN, said the commission had commenced comprehensive preparations for the 2027 elections.
He said the preparations include a full audit of INEC’s electoral technology infrastructure, system redundancy assessments, penetration testing and disaster recovery planning.
Adam also disclosed that the commission is considering a mock presidential election to stress-test its systems ahead of the 2027 polls.
He said lessons from the 2023 general election showed that technologies such as the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and INEC Result Viewing Portal contributed significantly to electoral transparency.
However, he noted that technology alone cannot guarantee public confidence in elections unless the systems perform reliably and are supported by timely, accurate and effective communication.
The national commissioner said INEC is developing a rapid-response digital communication strategy that will enable the commission to detect, verify and counter misinformation in real time.
He added that the commission plans to strengthen partnerships with communication scholars, universities, media organisations, fact-checkers, technology companies and civil society groups to build a more resilient electoral information environment.
Also speaking, ACSPN National President, Prof. Rotimi Williams Olatunji, called for an integrated electoral information integrity framework involving INEC, political parties, media organisations, technology platforms, civil society and academia.
Olatunji said protecting electoral integrity requires stronger fact-checking mechanisms, AI-content detection, responsible political communication and improved media literacy among citizens.
Director-General of the National Orientation Agency, Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu, also warned that AI-generated misinformation and manipulated digital content could significantly undermine public confidence ahead of the 2027 elections if left unchecked.
Issa-Onilu urged stakeholders to promote responsible digital citizenship and intensify public awareness campaigns to help Nigerians distinguish credible information from fabricated or manipulated content.
He said stronger collaboration among electoral authorities, the media, technology platforms, civil society and citizens would be critical to protecting Nigeria’s electoral information space ahead of the 2027 polls.
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