INEC Blames Staff for AI-Generated Photos in Voter Register

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has attributed the presence of AI-generated photographs and other irregularities in Nigeria's preliminary voter register to the actions of its own registration officers. Dr. Lawrence Bayode, INEC's Director of Information and Communication Technology, stated that officers across various states used their login credentials to introduce questionable records into the database, some of which were detected via the commission's Automated Biometric Identification System.

The admission follows allegations from Clement Nwankwo, Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, who questioned the credibility of the register ahead of the 2027 general elections. Nwankwo highlighted a suspicious increase in registered voters from 90 million to 103 million and cited reports from Edo State where 21 of 24 photographs in one polling unit appeared to be AI-generated. While Nwankwo criticized INEC for a lack of transparency, he opposed postponing the elections due to national security risks.

INEC is currently cleaning the data after the preliminary register, uploaded on October 26, sparked public outcry over duplicate entries and missing details. The commission expects to certify the final Register of Voters by December 15, 2026.