The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has declared that no algorithm will determine the outcome of Nigeria's 2027 general elections, firmly placing the authority to choose the country's leaders in the hands of its citizens.
INEC Chairman Prof. Joash O. Amupitan, SAN, made this position clear at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026, held in Abuja and themed "Safeguarding the 2027 General Elections in the Age of Artificial Intelligence." The event was co-convened by INEC and Yiaga Africa, drawing electoral commission heads from across Africa, members of the diplomatic corps, political party leaders, security agencies, technology companies, and civil society groups.
Algorithms Will Not Decide the 2027 Vote
Speaking at the forum, Amupitan stressed that the authority to choose Nigeria's leaders belongs exclusively to the people. "Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote," he said. "The choice of who leads Nigeria belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people. Algorithms may predict patterns; they may optimise routes, and they may even suggest preferences. But they do not have a conscience, they do not have a country, and they do not have a vote."
The statement was disclosed via INEC's X handle @inecnigeria on Wednesday, October 14, 2026. Among the senior figures in attendance was Abdoulaye Sylla, Chairperson of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions and Chairman of Senegal's Electoral Commission.
AI's Role in Shaping the Vote Environment
With 92 days to the 2027 elections, Amupitan acknowledged that artificial intelligence will still play a significant role in how Nigerians receive and process information ahead of the polls. "While algorithms will not decide the vote, AI will undeniably shape the information environment in which citizens form their choices, influence the speed and security of electoral logistics, and alter the tactics of both democratic actors and anti-democratic disruptors," he said.
He described the 2027 General Election as the largest democratic exercise on the African continent, citing over 103 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units spread across 774 Local Government Areas, and balloting that spans presidential, National Assembly, governorship, and state assembly races.
What INEC Has Done and Where It Draws the Line
The INEC chairman said the commission has already completed ten of the fourteen major operational milestones set out under the Electoral Act 2026. Progress includes procuring additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) units, digitising candidate nominations through the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal, which processed over 15,000 nominations from 22 political parties, and launching online voter registration for the first time in the country's history.
On the constructive side of AI, Amupitan pointed to opportunities such as predictive logistics planning, automated result audit support, biometric database management, multilingual voter communication through natural language processing tools, and AI-powered cybersecurity defences. However, he drew a clear boundary around human oversight, saying that result collation, voter accreditation, and candidate qualification will not be handed over to any automated or autonomous system. "Human accountability, statutory oversight, and judicial review will remain paramount at every stage of the electoral chain," he said.
Meanwhile, Legit.ng also reported that Atiku Abubakar, the ADC's 2027 presidential candidate, demanded full transparency from INEC over reported redeployments in key electoral departments. Atiku raised concern that more than half of INEC's sensitive election materials may have been allocated to an undisclosed company believed to be based in France. The former vice-president warned that any attempt to rig the 2027 polls would be met with resistance through the ballot and lawful civic action.
