By Ere-ebi Agedah Imisi
The Obidient Movement has rejected plans by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) tools in the conduct and management of the 2027 general elections, demanding greater transparency over the proposed technology.
National Coordinator of the movement, Dr. Yunusa Tanko, said INEC should first resolve issues surrounding electoral transparency, result transmission and public confidence before introducing new technology.
“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,” Tanko stated in Abuja.
He questioned the rationale for introducing AI into an electoral system where fundamental concerns remain unresolved, insisting Nigerians deserve to know the precise role AI would play, the problems it is meant to solve, and the safeguards against manipulation.
The movement cited lingering controversies from the 2023 general elections, particularly the uploading of polling-unit results to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV), and referenced claims from Mundx Analytics about metadata anomalies in presidential result sheets.
Tanko said the group rejected the proposal unless INEC provided adequate explanations, published its comprehensive technology plan, and subjected any AI system to independent testing before deployment. He also called for an independent audit of INEC’s electoral technology systems and a result-transmission framework that allows verification at every stage.
“Our voices matter. Our votes matter. Our future matters. 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 added.
INEC has acknowledged risks associated with AI, including fabricated result sheets, manipulated videos and cloned voices, but maintains that technology and administrative reforms are central to its 2027 preparations.
