The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it is putting measures in place to tackle the growing threat of artificial intelligence-generated fake news ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission is concerned about the increasing use of AI to create convincing fake videos, cloned voices, manipulated photographs, fabricated documents and false election results that could mislead voters and weaken confidence in the electoral process.
INEC Deputy Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Wilfred Ifogah, said the commission has monitoring systems, an AI division, a media monitoring unit and a rapid-response team to identify and address misleading electoral content.
He urged Nigerians to rely on information and election results released through INEC’s verified communication channels rather than materials circulating on social media.
“You know we have constantly maintained that Nigerians should only rely on results from INEC through our official communication channels,” Ifogah said.
He explained that once fabricated content is identified, the commission would issue disclaimers and respond through its communication channels.
“That is the reason why we have a rapid response team and a vibrant media monitoring unit. We respond as soon as the content is flagged,” he added.
INEC is also engaging major technology and social media companies, including Meta, X, TikTok, Google and WhatsApp, as part of efforts to limit the spread of election-related misinformation and disinformation.
The concern has grown from the experience of the 2023 elections, when false claims, manipulated materials, old videos presented as current events and fabricated graphics circulated widely.
Fact-checkers who monitored the 2023 polls recorded 127 claims that required verification across the presidential, National Assembly, governorship and State Assembly elections.
Experts say the emergence of generative AI has made the situation more difficult because convincing fake materials can now be produced faster and with fewer technical skills.
Cybersecurity and AI expert Salami Daniel said the technology had significantly lowered the barrier to creating fake audio, videos, images and documents.
“Artificial Intelligence has significantly lowered the barrier to producing convincing fake audio, videos, images and documents,” he said.
Daniel warned that a fabricated recording could be created and distributed widely before the person or institution being impersonated even has an opportunity to respond.
He said AI can also be used to clone voices and reproduce the appearance and mannerisms of public officials, making fake messages attributed to INEC or political figures appear genuine.
According to him, election stakeholders should not rely solely on debunking false information after it has already gone viral. He called for systems that can quickly authenticate official election results, statements, videos and other electoral materials.
FactCheckHub editor and Nigerian Fact-Checkers’ Coalition coordinator Opeyemi Kehinde also urged journalists to carefully verify unusual election-related content before publishing or sharing it.
“Before publishing or amplifying unusual election-related audio, videos, screenshots or documents, they should verify the material from the original source and cross-check it with the relevant authority,” Kehinde said.
He noted that while technology can assist in identifying AI-generated content, no single detection tool is completely reliable.
“The most effective approach is likely to combine technical detection, human verification, source authentication and rapid communication from trusted institutions,” he said.
Fact-checker Kamaru Danlami said the 2023 elections demonstrated how quickly misinformation could spread during voting, result collation and the announcement of results.
He said AI has now given those producing false information more sophisticated ways to make fabricated material appear authentic.
Danlami warned that the threat could extend beyond fake election results to false information about voting procedures, polling units, candidates, electoral officials and incidents at polling stations.
“This makes media literacy and rapid verification extremely important ahead of 2027,” he said.
He urged voters to question the origin of election-related information, particularly sensational claims or materials circulated without a clear source.
Danlami also called for closer cooperation between INEC, political parties, the media, technology companies and fact-checking organisations so that false information can be identified and countered quickly.
“The lesson from 2023 is that information can become part of the electoral contest itself,” he said.
“With generative AI becoming more accessible, stakeholders should prepare for the possibility that fabricated content will become more sophisticated and harder for ordinary users to identify.”
INEC has also been strengthening the capacity of its public affairs officers to monitor the information environment, verify claims and respond to misinformation as the 2027 elections approach.
The commission’s challenge will therefore extend beyond identifying fake videos, audio recordings and documents. It will also need to ensure that accurate information reaches voters quickly enough to prevent false claims from gaining widespread acceptance.
With AI-generated content becoming increasingly sophisticated, election officials, journalists, technology platforms, fact-checkers and voters will all play a role in protecting the credibility of information surrounding the 2027 elections.
