INEC CHAIRMAN: AI MUST STRENGTHEN, NOT REPLACE, ELECTORAL INSTITUTIONS
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has said the successful deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in electoral administration will depend less on the sophistication of the technology than on the strength of the institutions, governance structures and safeguards guiding its use.
The Chairman stated this on Thursday, 10 September 2026, in Ottawa, Canada, while addressing the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections, where he presented Nigeria’s experience and lessons in institutionalising responsible AI for electoral administration. He was accompanied by the Director, Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Dr. Lawrence Bayode.
Prof. Amupitan said the growing influence of algorithms and data architectures on democratic processes had made responsible technological innovation an important consideration for election management bodies.
He noted that Nigeria had progressively deployed technology to strengthen the credibility and efficiency of its electoral processes, citing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and the Automated Biometrics Identification System (ABIS) among innovations adopted by the Commission to reduce human error and manual interference.
According to him, the sheer scale of Nigeria’s electoral operations makes technology essential to modern election administration. He noted that the country has more than 93 million registered voters, approximately 180,000 polling units and about 185,000 BVAS devices, with elections conducted simultaneously across the 36 States and the Federal Capital Territory.
He, however, cautioned that the adoption of AI must not be driven by technology for its own sake, but by demonstrable improvements in electoral administration, public service and public confidence.
“AI must strengthen electoral integrity, improve public service, and always remain under human control,” the Chairman stated.
Prof. Amupitan also outlined the legal architecture underpinning the deployment of technology in Nigeria’s electoral process. He referenced the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2026, INEC Regulations, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Cybercrimes Act 2024.
He particularly highlighted provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 relating to the voters’ register, electronic voting devices, biometric accreditation, electronic transmission of results and the use of accreditation and transmitted results in the collation and declaration of election results.
The Chairman disclosed that INEC had commenced institutional preparations for the responsible adoption of AI rather than treating the technology simply as an ICT project.
He said the Commission had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within the ICT Department; developed an AI Roadmap for phased adoption; developed an AI Governance Framework currently undergoing internal approval; commenced AI literacy and technical capacity building among staff; and adopted a multidisciplinary approach involving ICT, Operations, Legal, Voter Education, Risk Management and other departments.
“Responsible AI begins with institutional readiness — not technology,” he said.
He identified five principles guiding INEC’s AI initiatives: human oversight; transparency and accountability; data protection and privacy; cybersecurity and risk management; and operational value and public trust.
The Chairman stressed that AI would serve as an aid to election officials and would not replace human responsibility for electoral decision-making.
Giving an insight into one of the Commission’s AI initiatives, Prof. Amupitan disclosed that INEC had introduced an intelligent Results Management process designed to assist in identifying discrepancies in election result records.
Under the process, polling unit result forms are digitised, information is extracted from scanned Forms EC8A, and the extracted figures are compared with data entered on the BVAS. Any inconsistencies are automatically identified and flagged for review by election officials before publication.
He made it clear that the system does not alter election results, but assists officials by identifying issues that require human attention.
According to him, the implementation of AI in electoral administration requires more than software and computing infrastructure. It also demands trained personnel, AI literacy, redesigned operational procedures, structured electoral datasets, high-quality digitised records, secure platforms, reliable computing resources, systems integration, audit trails, risk controls and collaboration across departments.
Prof. Amupitan said the Commission measures the success of its AI initiatives through practical indicators including reduction in processing errors, improved operational efficiency, reliability and resilience, staff acceptance, security performance, public confidence and the sustainability of solutions for nationwide deployment.
He added that initiatives that do not demonstrate sufficient value would be refined before expansion.
Beyond election operations, the Chairman said INEC was also exploring AI-powered citizen services to improve voter engagement and access to electoral information.
These include intelligent voter information services, AI-assisted responses to frequently asked questions, support for voter registration processes and faster access to electoral information.
Reflecting on the Commission’s experience, Prof. Amupitan said successful AI adoption required leadership commitment, skilled personnel, strong governance, high-quality data, human oversight, continuous evaluation and effective public communication.
He therefore described responsible AI as an organisational capability rather than merely an Information Technology project.
Looking ahead, the Chairman said INEC’s vision was to progressively build an AI-enabled Election Management Body, with emphasis on strengthening institutional AI governance, expanding staff capability, responsibly scaling successful AI applications, enhancing cybersecurity and resilience, and preserving transparency, accountability and public trust.
He reiterated that the Commission would introduce AI only where it demonstrably improves electoral administration and remains consistent with legal and ethical standards.
Concluding his presentation, Prof. Amupitan said the ultimate objective of AI in electoral administration must be to strengthen democratic institutions rather than displace them.
“Responsible AI is not defined by the sophistication of the technology, but by the strength of the institutions that govern it,” he said.
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