Deepfakes: INEC chairman tasks editors on fact-checking

…Cautions media against unofficial results
…Says journalists’ welfare critical to democracy

By Ben Ngwakwe, Gombe

ENUGU — The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has urged editors and newsroom managers to strengthen fact-checking and digital verification mechanisms to counter the growing threat of artificial intelligence-driven deepfakes ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC warned that synthetic disinformation, including manipulated videos, cloned voices and fabricated election result sheets, could undermine public confidence in the electoral process and create confusion during elections.

INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, gave the warning on Thursday at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC 2026) in Enugu.

Amupitan, who was represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, spoke on the theme: “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive.”

In a statement signed by Adedayo Oketola, Chief Press Secretary and Media Adviser to the INEC Chairman, the commission said technological advances had transformed the disinformation landscape, enabling malicious actors to produce convincing audio-visual materials capable of misleading large audiences within a short period.

Amupitan said: “We have moved far beyond simple political bias, hyperbole, or unverified rumours into an era of synthetically manufactured reality.

“Generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning, deepfake video synthesis, and automated bot networks have democratised mass deception.”

He said political actors or other malicious users could produce seemingly authentic videos of electoral officials declaring fictitious results, clone the voices of officials and circulate fabricated result sheets to create the impression of electoral fraud.

According to him, the danger posed by deepfakes extends beyond individual falsehoods to the erosion of public trust in genuine information released by constitutional authorities.

“When deepfakes render lies believable, real truth is greeted with skepticism. Cynicism replaces civic engagement,” he said.

To address the threat, the INEC chairman urged media organisations to establish specialised fact-checking desks, deploy digital verification and forensic tools, and authenticate election-related information before publication.

He also urged editors to train journalists to identify synthetic content, fake official documents, manipulated videos and other forms of digitally generated misinformation.

No Unofficial Results

Amupitan cautioned media organisations against publishing or amplifying privately collated election results before official declarations by INEC.

He said premature publication of unofficial figures could create competing narratives, confuse voters and undermine confidence in officially declared results.

“Let’s resist premature result declarations. Under the Electoral Act, statutory authority to declare election results rests exclusively with INEC,” he said.

He urged editors to ensure that their platforms did not become channels for disseminating unverified election figures generated by political actors or circulated on social media.

“The pressure on modern newsrooms to be first is immense. But in national elections, it is vastly more important to be right than to be first,” he said.

Amupitan said publishing unverified result sheets, doctored videos or unconfirmed statements could give credibility to deliberate deception and potentially threaten public peace.

He called on the Nigerian Guild of Editors and media organisations to develop a collaborative mechanism for identifying and responding rapidly to election-related disinformation.

INEC Deploys AI Tools

On the commission’s preparations for the 2027 elections, Amupitan said INEC had moved towards a more proactive use of technology.

He disclosed that the commission had established an Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and commenced the deployment of automated AI auditing tools in the results management process.

According to him, the tools are designed to detect discrepancies before final verification, while automated checks remain subject to human oversight under a five-pillar AI Governance Framework.

He also said the commission had commenced a six-zone Interactive Meetings and Readiness Assessment tour, beginning in Lagos on September 7, to assess electoral preparedness across the country.

Amupitan said elections were no longer contested only at polling units but also in the information space, making the media an important partner in safeguarding electoral integrity.

Journalists’ Welfare

The INEC chairman also highlighted the economic conditions of journalists, arguing that the welfare of media workers was linked to the quality and independence of journalism.

He urged media owners and managers to provide decent remuneration and structured welfare packages for journalists, warning that severe financial insecurity could expose media practitioners to inducement and other pressures.

“A poorly compensated journalist is vulnerable; a financially neglected newsroom is fertile ground for compromise,” he said.

Amupitan said journalists with decent working conditions would be better positioned to resist inducement, scrutinise false narratives and report elections objectively.

He added that INEC had introduced measures to improve the welfare of its workforce, including the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), which, according to him, separated the commission’s workforce from the regular Civil Service salary structure with effect from January 1, 2026.

Editors, Traditional Rulers Seek Stronger Response

Earlier, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, NGE, Mr Eze Anaba, said the media had a responsibility to protect democracy by holding power accountable and providing platforms for diverse voices.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that our democracy survives. The media must hold power accountable and provide the space for diverse voices to be heard,” Anaba said.

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, urged INEC to establish a joint rapid-response mechanism involving newsrooms to counter election misinformation and provide timely clarification of false claims.

Achebe also challenged editors to intensify voter education and address voter apathy by informing citizens about the importance of participating in the electoral process.

Speaking on the role of the media in democracy, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said a free press remained essential to democratic governance.

Onaiyekan noted that Nigeria had a diverse media landscape comprising newspapers, radio and television stations, as well as social media platforms.

He, however, said the emergence of artificial intelligence had introduced both opportunities and risks into the communication space.

“Artificial intelligence, AI, is already working wonders in the communication space, though not without its dangers if it is allowed to spin out of human control,” he said.

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