The Independent National Electoral Commission has outlined far reaching measures to safeguard the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 General Election against digital disruption and artificial intelligence, speaking at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria.
Delivering the keynote on behalf of INEC Chairman Prof Joash Amupitan, National Commissioner Prof Sani Muhammad Adam disclosed that the Commission has commenced comprehensive preparations for 2027, including a full audit of its electoral technology infrastructure, penetration testing, disaster recovery planning and the possibility of a mock presidential election to stress test its systems.
Adam said lessons from the 2023 election showed that innovations like the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System and the IReV Portal improved transparency but cannot guarantee public trust unless backed by timely and honest communication, announcing that INEC is developing a rapid response digital strategy to detect and counter misinformation in real time.
ACSPN National President Prof Rotimi Williams Olatunji called for an integrated electoral information integrity framework involving INEC, political parties, media and civil society, stressing the need for stronger fact checking and AI content detection ahead of the polls.
National Orientation Agency Director General Lanre Issa Onilu warned that AI generated misinformation could significantly undermine public confidence in 2027 if left unchecked, urging stakeholders to promote responsible digital citizenship, as the conference honoured Amupitan with a Plaque of Honour for his contributions to strengthening electoral integrity in Nigeria.
By Asiwaju Adekunle Saheed
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