Reported by: Oahimire Omone Precious | Edited by: Oravbiere Osayomore Promise.
The Obidient Movement has formally rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s proposed deployment of Artificial Intelligence in the 2027 general elections, accusing the commission of attempting to introduce new technology before accounting for its existing failures. In a statement issued on Tuesday, September 29, 2026, by its National Coordinator, Dr Yunusa Tanko, the movement said INEC had failed to explain how the AI system would work, what problems it was intended to solve, and what safeguards would prevent its abuse. The intervention comes days after INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan disclosed that the commission had commenced the deployment of AI tools to detect discrepancies and administrative errors in election results, and was strengthening its defences against AI-generated disinformation including cloned voices, deepfake videos and fabricated result sheets.
Tanko was unsparing in his assessment of INEC’s priorities. “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,” he said. “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.” He argued that technology was not the fundamental challenge confronting Nigeria’s electoral system, but rather the issues of transparency, institutional independence and accountability. “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,” Tanko declared.
The movement’s rejection is anchored on a series of specific grievances, chief among them the continued presence of officials it alleges were involved in the manipulation of the 2023 elections. Tanko specifically named Lawrence Bayode, whom he identified as the Commission’s ICT Director, and questioned why the same officials responsible for critical electoral systems in 2023 remained in positions of authority ahead of the 2027 polls. “The issue in 2023 was not a failure of technology, but the evil collusion of Mr. Bayode, the then INEC Chairman, Mr. Mahmood Yakubu, and the APC,” the group alleged. It further cited a recent investigation by Mundx Analytics, which it said found that presidential results from more than 50,000 polling units were uploaded from mobile phones during the 2023 election, an allegation it said demonstrated the vulnerability of the system to manipulation. The movement did not provide independent evidence to substantiate these allegations.
The Obidient Movement has issued a series of demands to INEC, framing them as prerequisites for any meaningful electoral reform. First, it called on the Commission to publish a comprehensive 2027 election plan detailing the technologies, procedures and safeguards it intends to deploy. Second, it demanded an independent audit of INEC’s electoral technology, with the findings and corrective measures made public. Third, it insisted on transparent and verifiable transmission of election results, saying every vote recorded at polling units should be accurately reflected in the final results. Fourth, it called for the proposed AI tools to be subjected to independent testing and public scrutiny before implementation. Fifth, it demanded measures to guarantee the independence of the Commission’s ICT leadership, including the removal of officials whose alleged partisan activities could undermine public confidence.
The movement’s intervention comes amid a broader debate about the role of technology in Nigeria’s electoral process. INEC has argued that AI tools will help detect discrepancies, flag administrative errors and counter the growing threat of AI-generated disinformation, which the Commission has identified as a major risk ahead of the 2027 elections. The Commission has established an AI Division within its ICT Department, deployed AI auditing tools in its Results Management process under an AI Governance Framework with human oversight, and warned media organisations to strengthen fact-checking and digital verification systems. But the Obidient Movement contends that these measures are being introduced without adequate transparency, public consultation or accountability for past failures. “The responsibility for preventing an electoral crisis rests squarely on INEC,” the statement said. “The Commission must act now, before its continued secrecy and failures push the country towards a crisis that could have been avoided.”
Tanko said Amupitan still had time to reconsider the Commission’s approach. “The INEC Chairman, Mr Josh Amupitan, still has enough time to retrace his steps before it is too late. The people’s mandate is not negotiable,” he said. The movement warned that any attempt to manipulate the 2027 elections could trigger widespread public outrage and an electoral crisis. As the 2027 general elections approach, the dispute between INEC and the Obidient Movement reflects a deeper contest over the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral institutions. For the movement, the issue is not whether AI can improve elections, but whether the Commission can be trusted to deploy it fairly. For INEC, the challenge is to demonstrate that its technological reforms are matched by transparency, accountability and a willingness to confront the unresolved questions of 2023.
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