2027: NDC rejects INEC plan to deploy AI

The National Publicity Secretary of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, Osa Director, has warned Nigerians to be concerned about the 2027 general elections, declaring that the Independent National Electoral Commission remains the “greatest threat” to Nigeria’s democracy.

Director spoke against the backdrop of concerns raised over the accessibility of some 2023 election records on the commission’s electronic results platform and INEC’s planned deployment of artificial intelligence in the 2027 elections.

“There is a need for Nigerians to be afraid of the 2027 election. Even without this revelation, I have always maintained that the greatest threat to Nigeria’s democracy is INEC.

“We have to ensure that we compel INEC to do what is right by conducting a free, fair, transparent and credible election.

“We also need the international community to support us in this regard to pressure the commission. INEC remains the biggest threat to a free and fair election in Nigeria.

“I am not even saying this because of this latest revelation. I don’t trust INEC.”

His comments followed a report by MundX Analytics, a Nigerian elections data and analytics company, which raised concerns over access to records from the 2023 elections hosted on the INEC’s Results Viewing Portal.

MundX alleged that the domain previously used by INEC to deliver 2023 polling-unit result sheets had expired and was subsequently acquired by a private firm, with some IReV links reportedly redirecting users to advertising websites.

The firm said the development affected access to a large number of election results previously available through the platform.

“INEC allowed a domain used to deliver Nigeria’s 2023 polling-unit result sheets to expire. A third party acquired it, and some IReV result links began sending Nigerians seeking election records to advertising websites.

“This is bigger than a broken link. It is a failure to protect access to Nigeria’s public election record,” it stated.

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INEC, however, has maintained that the 2023 election results remain intact and securely stored on Amazon Web Services, insisting that the records have not been lost.

The development has nevertheless renewed concerns over the accessibility and preservation of electronic election records ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Director also rejected INEC’s plan to deploy artificial intelligence in the 2027 elections, questioning the commission’s capacity to manage the technology effectively.

Asked whether he supported the commission’s planned use of AI, he said, “No way. We have not been able to do things properly. Is it when they deploy AI that the commission doesn’t have capacity to control that we will get it right? I don’t think so.”

The controversy followed a disclosure by the INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan, that the commission had begun deploying AI tools to detect discrepancies and administrative errors in election results.

Amupitan said the technology was being deployed alongside measures to counter AI-generated disinformation, including fake result sheets, cloned voices of electoral officials, fabricated videos and forged official documents.

The INEC chairman also said the commission had established an Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and developed an AI roadmap and governance framework based on human oversight, transparency, accountability, data protection, cybersecurity and public trust.

The Obidient Movement also kicked against INEC’s plan to deploy AI, demanding that the commission first address what it described as unresolved concerns over electoral transparency, result transmission and the credibility of its processes.

The National Coordinator of the movement, Dr Yunusa Tanko, gave the warning in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, following Amupitan’s disclosure.

Tanko said the movement rejected the proposed deployment of AI, arguing that INEC had yet to adequately explain how the technology would work, the problems it was intended to address and the safeguards against its abuse.

The commission, however, has maintained that AI would complement rather than replace human oversight, with Amupitan stressing that automated checks would remain subject to human auditing and legal verification.