Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) following its admission that artificial intelligence (AI)-generated images and other irregularities were introduced into the voter register by registration officers.
The former presidential candidate described the admission as a scandal that strikes at the heart of the Commission’s credibility. He warned that the commission cannot attempt to rectify the register by removing the faulty entries while simultaneously attempting to hide the extent of the compromise.
In a statement released by Phrank Shaibu, the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Atiku asserted that AI-generated images and other irregularities entered the voter register through the actions of registration officers, undermining the sanctity of the electoral roll.
Threat to electoral integrity
The controversy stems from INEC’s internal findings regarding the integrity of the data collected during recent registration exercises. The admission suggests that the technology meant to secure the process was instead bypassed or exploited by personnel on the ground to facilitate fraudulent entries.
Atiku argued that the presence of synthetic, AI-generated images in a document as critical as the voter register poses a fundamental threat to the transparency of future elections. He cautioned that any attempt to “clean up” the register after the fact would be viewed as an effort to bury evidence of systemic failure or potential complicity.
“You can’t clean up the voters’ register and bury evidence,” Atiku stated, emphasising that the public deserves full transparency regarding how these irregularities occurred and which specific officers were responsible for allowing such breaches.
The issue of digital identity and the use of AI in Nigerian political processes has become a central concern for election observers. The inclusion of non-human, AI-generated personas in the voter database creates a risk of “ghost voters,” which can be manipulated to skew election results in various constituencies.
Political analysts suggest that this development puts immense pressure on INEC to demonstrate its ability to audit the register thoroughly. The commission faces growing demands for a forensic investigation into the registration process to determine whether the use of AI-generated images was an isolated error by field officers or a coordinated attempt at electoral fraud.
While INEC has acknowledged the presence of these irregularities, the commission has yet to provide a specific timeline for the total purge of these entries or a detailed report on the disciplinary actions being taken against the officers involved. The incident remains a significant hurdle for the commission as it seeks to rebuild public trust in its technological and administrative capacity.
Atiku’s response highlights the deep-seated distrust in the electoral management body, a sentiment that has persisted through several election cycles in Nigeria. The fallout from this admission is expected to trigger calls for more stringent oversight of the registration process ahead of subsequent electoral engagements.
INEC has not yet issued a formal rebuttal to the specific claim that it is attempting to bury evidence of these irregularities.
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