2027: INEC Raises Alarm Over Election Funds, AI Threats
Reported By Facthabournews
The Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, has raised concerns over the funding of preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general elections, warning that the delayed release of approved funds could affect critical technological and operational plans ahead of the polls.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, also warned that the growing sophistication of artificial intelligence-driven disinformation could pose one of the most serious threats to the credibility of the 2027 elections.
Amupitan raised the concerns on Wednesday in Abuja while delivering a keynote address at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, ACSPN. He was represented at the event by INEC National Commissioner, Sani Adam, SAN.
The conference, themed “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruption and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication,” brought together communication scholars, media professionals, technology experts and other stakeholders to discuss the changing information environment surrounding elections.
Amupitan disclosed that INEC had proposed a substantial budget for the 2027 general elections, with significant allocations for technology and election operations. The proposed spending includes the procurement of new voter accreditation devices to replace equipment that was lost or damaged during the previous electoral cycle.
The INEC chairman, however, said the commission was still awaiting the full release of the funds.
He explained that despite the outstanding funding, INEC’s Information and Communications Technology team had already begun discussions with manufacturers concerning the procurement of necessary equipment.
He also said the commission was continuing preparations for a comprehensive audit of its electoral technology systems and a proposed mock presidential election designed to test the systems under conditions similar to those that would be experienced on election day.
The proposed mock election is expected to provide INEC with an opportunity to test voter accreditation, result transmission and result-viewing systems before the actual 2027 presidential election.
The commission is also conducting an extensive audit of its electoral technology infrastructure, including system redundancy, penetration testing and disaster recovery arrangements.
The exercise is particularly significant because technology played a major role in the 2023 general elections. INEC deployed the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, BVAS, for voter accreditation and the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, for the electronic viewing of polling-unit results.
Although the technologies were introduced to strengthen electoral transparency, technical difficulties surrounding parts of the process during the 2023 elections generated public criticism and contributed to questions about the reliability of the systems.
Amupitan acknowledged that the experience demonstrated that electoral technology could become a source of public distrust if it does not perform reliably or if citizens do not adequately understand how it works.
He therefore argued that the credibility of the 2027 elections would depend not only on the physical integrity of ballots and electoral equipment but also on the ability of INEC and other stakeholders to manage information surrounding the electoral process.
One of the biggest concerns identified by the INEC chairman is the increasing use of generative artificial intelligence to create convincing fake audio, video and images.
According to him, AI has made it cheaper and more difficult to detect manipulated political content, creating new challenges for election management bodies, journalists, fact-checkers and voters.
He warned that fabricated content could spread rapidly across social media platforms and reach millions of people before credible verification could take place.
The threat, he explained, goes beyond obviously fake material. Artificial intelligence can also be used to produce highly convincing political messages and target specific groups of voters with different versions of information.
Such microtargeting could make it possible for conflicting narratives to circulate among different segments of the electorate without a common factual basis, potentially increasing political tension and undermining public confidence in election-related information.
The INEC chairman consequently called for electoral technology and electoral communication to be treated as interconnected aspects of election management rather than separate areas.
He said the commission was developing a five-point approach to address the emerging communication and technology challenges.
The strategy includes integrating technology and communication planning, establishing a rapid-response mechanism capable of addressing false information within the same news cycle, communicating known technological vulnerabilities and safeguards in advance, strengthening collaboration with media scholars, fact-checkers and technology platforms, and investing continuously in public media literacy.
The rapid-response mechanism is expected to become particularly important during the election period, when false information can spread quickly and influence public perceptions before official clarification is issued.
Amupitan also urged media professionals and communication scholars to work closely with INEC in strengthening public understanding of electoral processes.
He said journalists, fact-checkers, technology specialists and civic educators have important roles to play in helping voters distinguish authentic information from manipulated content.
The warning comes as political activities ahead of the 2027 elections continue to intensify across Nigeria. Political parties are already mobilising supporters, selecting candidates and developing campaign strategies, increasing the amount of political information circulating online.
INEC’s concerns over funding also come months after the commission submitted a proposed budget of about N873.778 billion specifically for the 2027 general elections.
The earlier proposal allocated about N379.748 billion to operational expenses, N92.317 billion to administrative costs, N209.206 billion to election technology, N154.905 billion to capital expenditure and N42.608 billion to miscellaneous expenses.
The commission had previously appealed for the timely release of approved funds, stressing that election preparations require long-term planning and procurement.
The latest disclosure indicates that although planning and some preparatory activities are already underway, INEC is still waiting for the full financial resources required to execute its plans.
For the electoral body, replacing damaged accreditation devices is particularly important because BVAS remains central to voter accreditation and other aspects of the electoral process.
Any significant delay in procurement could place pressure on the commission as election day approaches, especially considering the size and logistical complexity of conducting a nationwide general election in Nigeria.
At the same time, the emergence of AI-generated disinformation presents a challenge that cannot be solved simply by purchasing new equipment.
Election officials will need to work with technology companies, media organisations, fact-checkers and civil society groups to detect manipulated content and provide accurate information quickly.
Voters will also have an important role to play by verifying political claims before sharing them online, particularly during the campaign and election periods.
INEC’s latest warning therefore highlights two different but connected challenges ahead of 2027: ensuring that the commission has adequate resources to prepare and deploy reliable electoral technology, and protecting the information environment from increasingly sophisticated forms of manipulation.
Amupitan said the commission remained committed to strengthening the technology supporting the electoral process while improving communication with citizens.
He also emphasised the importance of transparency and public trust, noting that electoral systems must not only function properly but must also be understood and trusted by the people using them.
With the 2027 elections approaching, INEC’s ability to secure timely funding, replace damaged equipment, test its systems and respond effectively to AI-driven disinformation will be closely watched.
The commission’s proposed mock presidential election and comprehensive technology audit are expected to provide important tests of its preparedness before Nigerians go to the polls.
For now, INEC is continuing its preparations despite the outstanding release of funds, while warning political actors, media organisations and the public that the battle for electoral credibility in 2027 will increasingly extend beyond the polling station into the digital information space.
