The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it has commenced the process of cleaning up its preliminary Register of Voters after identifying 268 records containing suspected AI-generated photographs and other irregularities.
The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this during an appearance on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, explaining that its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) had flagged the records for further review.
“What we are currently doing now is looking at all these 268 records that ABIS already flagged as AI-generated or even something of irregularities,” he said.
Bayode explained that some individuals allegedly exploited a special registration option designed for persons with disabilities who have incomplete fingers or no fingers to create questionable voter profiles.
He said the option, known as special registration, was among the irregularities detected by the system, adding that the commission had begun removing affected records.
“Those that we have seen, we are cleaning up,” he said.
However, Bayode clarified that INEC would not remove every photograph enhanced using artificial intelligence, distinguishing between images generated entirely by AI and genuine photographs improved with AI-powered tools on mobile phones.
According to him, individuals whose original photographs were merely enhanced using AI applications would remain on the register, while records containing entirely AI-generated photographs would be removed after verification.
“Those that we know it is the AI on the phone that helped enhance their pictures, we can’t exclude such people because it was the AI on the phone that does that. Such people will still be on the register but those AI-generated, those photographs, all these will be removed. We are already looking at them,” he said.
The development follows the publication of INEC’s preliminary Register of Voters online on October 26, which sparked controversy after screenshots circulated on social media showing questionable photographs attached to voter records, including entries from parts of Edo State.
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The concerns also involved allegations of duplicate registrations and reports that the names of deceased persons appeared on the register.
In response, INEC explained that the online version was the same preliminary register displayed physically at Registration Areas across the country from October 9 to 15.
The commission said the publication did not capture all the data-cleanup activities already underway, stressing that the register was not yet the final certified version.
It added that the display, claims and objections exercise was designed to enable members of the public to identify inaccuracies and questionable entries before the register is certified.
INEC said it would complete the necessary verification, adjudication and data-cleanup processes before certifying the final Register of Voters on December 15, 2026.