The Obidient Movement has raised concerns over the Independent National Electoral Commission’s plan to deploy Artificial Intelligence in the 2027 general elections, arguing that unresolved questions around the credibility of the electoral process should be addressed before introducing new technology.
National Coordinator of the movement, Yunusa Tanko, made the position known in a statement issued in Abuja on Tuesday, September 29, following recent remarks by INEC Chairman, Prof Joash Amupitan.
Amupitan had disclosed that the commission had started using AI tools to identify discrepancies and administrative mistakes in election results as part of preparations for the 2027 polls.
The INEC chairman also said the commission was developing measures to combat AI-generated misinformation, including fabricated result sheets, cloned voices, manipulated videos and counterfeit official documents.
Tanko, however, questioned the decision, saying INEC had not provided sufficient details about how the technology would operate or the safeguards that would prevent its misuse.
He said, “The same INEC that has failed to address the most basic issues surrounding electoral transparency, result transmission and the credibility of its processes is now announcing plans to deploy Artificial Intelligence in the 2027 elections.
“We reject this proposal in its entirety, particularly as the Commission has failed to explain how this technology will work, what problems it is intended to solve and what safeguards will prevent its abuse.”
The movement’s coordinator also cited what he described as a recent investigation by Mundx Analytics, which reportedly found that presidential election results from more than 50,000 polling units were uploaded through mobile phones.
Tanko argued that technological innovation could not resolve weaknesses within an electoral system without corresponding improvements in institutional accountability.
“Introducing AI into a system that has yet to account for its existing failures is not electoral reform.
“It is an attempt to distract Nigerians from the fundamental questions of institutional independence, transparency and accountability,” he said.
The group called on INEC to release a detailed roadmap for the 2027 election, covering the technologies it intends to use, operational procedures and measures designed to prevent abuse.
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It also requested an independent assessment of INEC’s electoral technology, with the results of the exercise and any recommended corrective measures made available to the public.
Tanko further demanded a result-transmission process that could be independently verified, insisting that figures recorded at polling units must correspond with those ultimately declared.
He also asked INEC to subject its proposed AI applications to independent testing and public scrutiny before deploying them during the elections.
Tanko urged Amupitan to reconsider the commission’s approach, saying there was still time to make changes before the 2027 polls.
“The INEC Chairman, Mr Josh Amupitan, still has enough time to retrace his steps before it is too late. The people’s mandate is not negotiable,” Tanko added.
Amupitan had made his disclosure while speaking at the 24th All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu.
He said INEC had created an Artificial Intelligence Division under its ICT Department and produced an AI Roadmap and Governance Framework to guide the technology’s deployment.
According to the chairman, the framework emphasises human oversight, transparency, accountability, data protection, cybersecurity and public confidence.
He also warned that AI could be used to generate sophisticated false electoral materials and impersonate officials, creating a risk that extends beyond the spread of false information.
Amupitan said the proliferation of convincing fake content could eventually make Nigerians doubt even genuine election results.