INEC Probes 268 Voter Records Over Suspected AI-Generated Photos

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has uncovered 268 questionable records in its preliminary Register of Voters over suspected Artificial Intelligence-generated photographs and other irregularities, as it moves to sanitise the database ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The Director of Information and Communication Technology of the Commission, Lawrence Bayode, made the disclosure on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics, noting that the records were flagged by the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) for further scrutiny.

“What we are currently doing now is looking at all these 268 records that ABIS already flagged as AI-generated or even something of irregularities,” he said.

Bayode said findings showed that some persons allegedly abused a special registration provision meant for persons with disabilities with incomplete fingers or no fingers to create dubious voter profiles.

He said the provision, known as special registration, was one of the loopholes exploited to perpetrate the irregularities.

According to him, the Commission has already started cleaning up the preliminary register.

“Those that we have seen, we are cleaning up,” Bayode said.

He clarified, however, that not all AI-assisted photographs would be removed, drawing a distinction between original pictures merely enhanced by AI features on mobile phones and images wholly generated by artificial intelligence.

“Those that we know it is the AI on the phone that helped enhance their pictures, we can’t exclude such people because it was the AI on the phone that does that.

“Such people will still be on the register but those AI-generated, those photographs, all these will be removed. We are already looking at them,” he explained.

The discovery came after INEC published its preliminary Register of Voters on its website on October 26, which triggered backlash on social media following circulation of screenshots showing suspicious photographs on voter records, especially in Edo State.

The development also sparked concerns about alleged duplicate registrations, appearance of names of deceased persons and complaints by some registered voters that their names were missing from the online register.

The concerns elicited reactions from political leaders, civil society actors and other Nigerians who questioned the credibility of the registration exercise and demanded clarification from the Commission.

INEC told LEADERSHIP it had commenced investigation into the suspected AI-generated photographs and other discrepancies, with a view to establishing how they occurred, identifying those responsible where wrongdoing is established, and correcting all affected records.

The Commissioner for Voter Education and Publicity, Muhammad Kudu Haruna, stated this on Sunday in an exclusive interview with LEADERSHIP.

“We have commenced investigation into the matter to ascertain the cause of that situation as well as correct the discrepancies that arise from it.

“We also ensure due process and diligence so that every error will be corrected and whatever associated with the anomalies will be remedied,” he said.

When asked whether any INEC staff were suspected to be involved, Haruna said it was too early to draw conclusions.

“I can’t say anything concerning whether we suspected an insider because the investigation has just commenced,” he said.

He assured that the probe would lead to a clean register that would be made available to political parties.

“The investigation will be rounded up with a clean voter register which the copy will be made available to each political parties on the 15th December,” Haruna said.

The probe follows public outrage over suspicious photographs believed to have been generated by AI that surfaced in the preliminary register.

The issue gained traction after screenshots allegedly showing questionable photographs in Ward 11, Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, went viral.

The controversy drew criticism from political parties, opposition figures and civil society organisations, including the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), former Kano State governor and NDC vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Musa Kwankwaso, and the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), who demanded a transparent and independent investigation and measures to safeguard the integrity of the register ahead of 2027.

INEC had earlier clarified that the preliminary register published online on October 26 was the same document displayed physically across Registration Areas nationwide from October 9 to 15 during the Display, Claims and Objections exercise.

The Commission noted that the preliminary register was not the final certified register, adding that the display was intended to allow eligible voters to check their details, identify errors and submit claims and objections before final certification.