With the 2027 general elections coming, INEC says it will set up a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division to fight deepfakes, fake news and cyber threats. The plan came out at the 2026 AI and Democracy Forum in Abuja, organised by Yiaga Africa with INEC.
Major Highlights
- The new AI Division will sit inside INEC’s Information and Communications Technology Department. It will assess new technologies, manage the risks and explore responsible uses, like data-driven risk checks and election logistics.
- INEC is also working with technology and development partners on an AI governance framework.
- The forum was themed “Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence”. It brought together election bodies, tech companies and civil society. Microsoft, TikTok and the Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID) are among the supporters.
- Yiaga Africa’s Executive Director, Samson Itodo, warned that AI-generated fake results or someone posing as an INEC official could spark serious unrest.
- Abdoulaye Sylla, who chairs Senegal’s electoral commission and the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions, said technology must serve democracy and not replace accountability or human judgement.
- INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan asked Nigerians to judge his leadership by the reforms now being put in place, not by the 2023 elections.
- Stakeholders agree trust will decide it. INEC will have to explain how AI-assisted systems work, what they can influence and how errors or interference will be handled. Fast, credible official communication will matter when fake results or recordings start circulating.
Conclusion
The plan is on paper for now. The real test will be whether INEC can act fast and explain itself clearly when a fake video or a made-up result starts spreading.
Kini Big Deal
In most elections, a WhatsApp rumour is annoying. In the age of AI, a convincing fake voice note of an INEC official announcing results can look real enough to start a fight. That is why this matters. It shows Nigeria’s election body is treating AI as an election risk, and not just a tech topic for conferences. It also shows how AI is now a governance issue in Africa, with regional bodies like ECONEC already in the conversation. Expect more AI rules, tools and partnerships from election bodies as the 2027 cycle heats up.
