Joash Amupitan, chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), says algorithms will not determine the outcome of the 2027 general election.
Amupitan made the remark at the AI and Democracy Forum 2026
in Abuja.
Addressing the question, “Will algorithms decide the 2027
vote?”, he said artificial intelligence (AI) would not replace the will of the
electorate.
“Let me, as the chair of INEC, answer it unequivocally, no!
Algorithms will not and must never decide the 2027 votes,” he said.
“Algorithms will not decide the votes because the choice of
who leads Nigeria belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people.”
Amupitan, however, said AI-driven geospatial analysis and
predictive modelling could improve electoral logistics and help the commission
meet its operational demands.
He said since assuming office on October 23, 2025, he had
overseen five major elections and more than 16 by-elections, during which INEC
tested predictive logistics optimisation.
The INEC chairman said the commission recorded improvements
in the early deployment of election materials and the commencement of voting.
“Reports from civil society and observers reported
significant improvement in terms of early deployment of materials and early
commencement of voting in all the elections we’ve conducted,” he said.
Speaking during a panel session, Amupitan said AI components
were already embedded in some of the technologies used by the commission,
including the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS).
He said facial recognition and fingerprint technology used
for voter accreditation involved AI components, adding that similar
technologies were incorporated into the smart card readers that preceded BVAS.
The INEC chairman said the commission is refining its
systems to address challenges associated with AI and ensure the technology is
used for lawful purposes.
He added that some details of its preparations cannot be
disclosed publicly because of cybersecurity concerns.
At a press conference on October 6, Amupitan said INEC had
established a dedicated AI division within its information and communication
technology department to support result verification and strengthen
cybersecurity ahead of the 2027 elections.
He also said the commission has integrated automated AI
auditing tools into its result verification process under a five-pillar AI
governance framework, with mandatory human oversight.
Amupitan said the commission is finalising its AI governance
policy to guide the use of the technology in the electoral process.
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