The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has blamed some of its registration officers across the country for the appearance of suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs and other irregularities in the preliminary voters’ register.
The commission alleged that some officials abused their authorised access to the voter registration system to introduce suspicious photographs and questionable entries into the database.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this during an interview on Arise Television, explaining that investigations had revealed how some registration officers used their login credentials to upload irregular records.
According to Bayode, the commission uncovered the anomalies through its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which was deployed to examine registration records and identify questionable entries.
He explained that while some of the photographs were suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence, others resulted from poorly conducted registration exercises.
Bayode, however, said the commission had yet to establish the motives behind the actions of the officials involved.
He maintained that INEC had identified the questionable records and was taking steps to sanitise the voters’ register before certifying the final version.
The development follows public criticism of INEC after it uploaded the preliminary voters’ register to its official website on October 26, with screenshots circulating on social media showing suspicious photographs attached to some voter records.
Several Nigerians also raised concerns over alleged multiple registrations and missing personal details in the online database.
INEC had earlier clarified that the online register was the same preliminary version displayed physically at Registration Areas across the country between October 9 and 15 during the Display, Claims and Objections exercise.
In a statement issued on October 27, the commission acknowledged the discovery of questionable records and assured Nigerians that a review was underway to correct the anomalies.
It stressed that the published register was provisional and should not be mistaken for the final certified list of eligible voters.
The commission is expected to complete its verification, adjudication and data-cleanup processes before publishing the final register on December 15, 2026.
Atiku demands prosecution of officials
Meanwhile, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), Atiku Abubakar, has called on INEC to identify and prosecute officials responsible for the alleged manipulation of the voters’ register.
Atiku, through the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, described the commission’s admission as a serious failure of electoral safeguards.
He demanded an independent forensic audit of the register, alleging that more than 20 million AI-generated images might be involved.
The former Vice President also urged INEC to preserve all voter records, image files, access logs and audit trails to allow independent scrutiny of the alleged irregularities.
Atiku questioned why the commission had not disclosed the identities of the officials involved or explained whether they had been suspended or prosecuted despite reportedly identifying how the irregularities occurred.
He warned against attempts to correct the register without preserving evidence of the alleged manipulation, insisting that political parties, civil society organisations, independent experts and credible international observers should be allowed to examine the records.
Atiku further accused INEC of failing to address opposition parties’ concerns over the companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials.
He warned that his party would consider legal action if the commission failed to provide the necessary information and ensure accountability.
INEC chairman assures Nigerians of credible 2027 elections
In a separate development, INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, has assured Nigerians that the commission is working to prevent a recurrence of the challenges experienced during previous elections, particularly the 2023 general election.
Amupitan gave the assurance when the ECOWAS Fact-Finding Mission for the 2027 general elections visited the commission’s headquarters.
He said the successful conduct of the 2027 elections would require cooperation among political parties, civil society organisations, the media, security agencies and other stakeholders.
The INEC chairman acknowledged that insecurity, electoral violence and misinformation remained significant threats to the electoral process.
He disclosed that the commission was working with the Inter-Agency Consultative Committee on Election Security (ICCES), the Nigeria Police Force, the Department of State Services, the Nigeria Security and Civil Defence Corps and the Armed Forces to address security challenges.
According to him, the commission has introduced an intelligence-driven security framework known as the ICCES Tentacle to identify potential threats, protect electoral personnel and secure the country’s 176,846 polling units.
Amupitan also disclosed that Nigeria’s registered voter population had crossed 103 million, adding that the commission had completed nine of the 14 major statutory milestones for the 2027 general elections.
He said INEC had received approximately 600 complaints through Electoral Officers and Resident Electoral Commissioners following the display of the preliminary voters’ register.
The chairman assured Nigerians that the complaints and discrepancies would be addressed before the final register is certified on December 15, 2026.
On the use of technology, Amupitan said the commission had improved its Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) and electronic result management processes to prevent a recurrence of the glitches experienced during the 2023 elections.
He disclosed that a mock accreditation exercise scheduled for November would test the BVAS for voter accreditation and electronic transmission of results ahead of the general elections.
The commission has also introduced an electronic verification platform, eEC8A, alongside additional safeguards to ensure that results declared at polling units are properly authenticated before being uploaded to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV).
Amupitan further revealed that the commission had concluded readiness assessment tours across five geopolitical zones and was preparing for the South-South assessment in Rivers State.
He said the visits were designed to assess logistics, infrastructure, staff preparedness and security arrangements ahead of the elections.
The INEC chairman maintained that the mistakes of previous elections would not be repeated, stressing that the commission remained committed to delivering a transparent, peaceful and credible electoral process.
The 2027 presidential and National Assembly elections are scheduled for January 16, while governorship and State Houses of Assembly elections are expected to hold on February 6, 2027.
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