Nigeria’s electoral commission says it is cleaning up its preliminary voters’ register after its automated system detected suspected AI-generated photographs and other irregularities.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has flagged 268 voter registration records for review after detecting suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-generated photographs and other irregularities in its preliminary Register of Voters.
The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, saying the records were identified through its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS).
“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,” Mr Bayode said.
He added that the commission had begun reviewing the affected records and removing entries confirmed to be irregular.
The development has raised concerns about the integrity of Nigeria’s voter registration system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Registration officers implicated
Mr Bayode said some registration officers across the country allegedly used their official login credentials to introduce questionable records into the voter registration database.
He explained that some of the flagged entries contained AI-generated photographs, while others resulted from poor registration procedures.
The commission’s automated system helped identify the questionable records, although the reasons behind the alleged actions of the officers involved remain unclear.
INEC has also identified cases in which a special registration option, intended to accommodate people with disabilities who have incomplete or missing fingers, was allegedly exploited to introduce irregularities.
INEC clarifies position on AI images
The commission has stressed that not every photograph enhanced with AI technology would be removed from the register.
Mr Bayode said genuine photographs improved using AI tools on mobile phones would not automatically disqualify voters.
However, images generated entirely by artificial intelligence and confirmed to be irregular would be removed as part of the ongoing clean-up.
The controversy intensified after INEC published its preliminary voters’ register online on 26 October, prompting public concern over suspicious photographs and other questionable entries.
The commission subsequently explained that the online version was the same preliminary register displayed physically at registration areas nationwide between 9 and 15 October.
It said the online publication did not reflect all the data-cleaning activities already under way.
Final register due in December
INEC has maintained that the published document is a preliminary register and not the final certified list of voters.
The commission said it would complete the necessary verification, adjudication and data-cleaning processes before certifying the final register on 15 December 2026.
The review is intended to address inaccuracies and irregularities before the register is finalised.
With preparations for the 2027 elections approaching, the handling of the flagged records is likely to remain under public scrutiny as Nigerians demand greater transparency and confidence in the electoral process.
INEC has said it will take appropriate action based on verified findings.
