Nigerians, not AI, will decide 2027 elections — INEC

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Joash Amupitan, has declared that artificial intelligence (AI) will not determine the outcome of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.

According to The ICIR, Amupitan made the declaration on Wednesday in Abuja during the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026, organised by INEC and Yiaga Africa.

He emphasised that Nigerians alone would decide their leaders, regardless of technological advancements.

“Human accountability, statutory oversight, and judicial review will remain paramount at every stage of the electoral chain,” he said.

Amupitan explained that AI could improve electoral logistics, cybersecurity, voter engagement and result auditing but would not replace human oversight.

He disclosed that INEC was preparing for elections involving over 103 million registered voters across 176,846 polling units nationwide.

The chairman also announced that the commission had completed 10 of 14 major operational milestones under the Electoral Act 2026.

He added that INEC had procured additional BVAS machines and introduced online voter registration.