2027: Obedient Movement rejects INEC’s plan to deploy AI

The Obedient Movement has warned the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) against deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the 2027 general elections without first addressing unresolved issues surrounding electoral transparency, result transmission, and institutional credibility.

The National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, issued the warning in a statement released in Abuja on Tuesday.

He was reacting to recent disclosures by INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, regarding the commission’s adoption of AI tools ahead of the 2027 polls.

Prof. Amupitan had earlier disclosed that INEC had commenced the deployment of AI tools to detect discrepancies and administrative errors in election results.

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He added that the commission was fortifying its systems against AI-generated disinformation, including cloned voices of electoral officers, deepfake videos, forged official documents, and fabricated result sheets.

However, rejecting the proposal, Tanko argued that the electoral umpire had failed to explain the operational framework of the technology, the specific problems it seeks to solve, and the safeguards put in place to prevent deliberate manipulation or abuse.

“The same INEC that has failed to address the most basic issues surrounding electoral transparency, result transmission, and the credibility of its processes is now announcing plans to deploy Artificial Intelligence in the 2027 elections.

“We reject this proposal in its entirety, particularly as the commission has failed to explain how this technology will work, what problems it is intended to solve, and what safeguards will prevent its abuse,” Tanko said.

Citing a recent investigation by Mundx Analytics, which alleged that presidential results from over 50,000 polling units were uploaded via mobile phones, the Obedient Movement leader maintained that technological innovation cannot substitute for institutional integrity.

“Introducing AI into a system that has yet to account for its existing failures is not electoral reform. It is an attempt to distract Nigerians from the fundamental questions of institutional independence, transparency, and accountability,” he added.

To ensure public trust, the movement outlined key demands, calling on INEC to publish its comprehensive roadmap for the 2027 general elections—detailing all technologies, procedures, and safety measures to be deployed.

The group further demanded an independent audit of the commission’s existing electoral technology, with full public disclosure of findings and corrective measures, alongside a fully transparent and verifiable result transmission process.

Tanko also insisted that any proposed AI tools must be subjected to rigorous independent testing and public scrutiny before implementation.