The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allegedly planning to manipulate the outcome of the 2027 general elections through the deployment of artificial intelligence (AI).
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, alleged that INEC intends to use AI technologies to favour the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) in the forthcoming elections.
The allegations follow recent remarks by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, who outlined the commission’s plans to integrate artificial intelligence frameworks into the electoral process ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Questioning the timing and preparedness of the electoral body, Director expressed concerns about INEC’s capacity to manage complex digital systems amid the country’s prevailing security challenges.
In a statement published on X, the NDC spokesman also questioned why the commission had not conducted pilot tests to assess the effectiveness of AI tools during previous off-cycle elections.
“Not even a test run of the efficiency, or otherwise, of AI tools in off-cycle elections? Why did INEC not test-run AI in the Osun polls?” he asked.
Director further questioned the urgency of introducing the technology less than 100 days before the elections, suggesting that the timing raised concerns about the commission’s intentions.
“Why the hurry to use AI in the forthcoming general elections, just less than 100 days away? Something is amiss,” he added.
The allegations have raised questions about the proposed use of artificial intelligence in Nigeria’s electoral process, particularly regarding transparency, preparedness and public confidence in the 2027 general elections.
