INEC BLAMES FIELD OFFICERS FOR AI-GENERATED ENTRIES IN VOTERS’ REGISTER, BEGINS CLEAN-UP AHEAD OF DECEMBER RELEASE
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has attributed the infiltration of suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-generated information and photographs into Nigeria’s preliminary voters’ register to misconduct by some of its field registration officers.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, made the disclosure during an appearance on ARISE News’ The Morning Show, monitored by Headlineswave.
Bayode acknowledged that irregularities had found their way into the voters’ register, explaining that some field officers were responsible for compromising the registration process by introducing questionable data and entries.
He said the commission was working to identify and remove the irregularities before the release of the final register in December.
The disclosure comes amid growing public concerns over suspicious photographs, questionable registration details and other inconsistencies discovered in the preliminary voters’ register recently published on INEC’s website.
The controversy has generated widespread reactions, with Nigerians questioning how AI-generated photographs and questionable voter information could have passed through the commission’s registration and verification systems.
INEC had earlier acknowledged the discovery of questionable registration records during the physical display of the preliminary register between October 9 and 15, 2026.
In a statement issued on October 27, the commission said it had commenced a review of the affected records and was investigating possible technical or procedural lapses that allowed the suspicious photographs to appear in the register.
The commission also clarified that the online register published on October 26 was preliminary and did not reflect all ongoing data-cleaning activities.
INEC has scheduled December 15, 2026, for the certification of the final Register of Voters.
With the 2027 general elections approaching, the integrity of the voters’ register remains a critical issue requiring transparency, accountability and public scrutiny.
Nigerians will be watching closely to see whether INEC can identify and remove all questionable entries, establish how the irregularities occurred and hold those responsible accountable.
This report incorporates INEC’s publicly acknowledged investigation into suspicious entries and photographs in the preliminary voters’ register, alongside the statements attributed to its Director of ICT during the ARISE News interview monitored by Headlineswave.
