Nigeria’s electoral commission is investigating suspicious photographs found in its preliminary voter register, after images believed to be AI-generated prompted concerns about the accuracy of the data ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) published the provisional register online on October 26. The commission said it was the same list displayed at registration areas from October 9 to 15, when questionable records were identified for further examination. It stressed that the register is not the final certified list and that corrections are still underway.
INEC is also examining how the photographs appeared, including the possibility of technical or procedural failures. A report by Channels Television said the biometric system had flagged 268 records for review. That figure does not establish that all the records contained AI-generated images.
The commission has said the public review process is intended to identify inaccuracies before certification. INEC has set December 15, 2026, as the scheduled date for certifying the final voter register.
Concerns extend beyond the images
Election observers and journalists have warned that synthetic images and video could be used to mislead voters or discredit candidates. They have also raised the opposite risk: authentic evidence could be dismissed as fake because convincing AI-generated material is increasingly possible, DW reported.
Nigeria’s electoral process has already incorporated digital tools. The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System, introduced in 2021, uses fingerprints and facial recognition to verify voters. It experienced failures during the 2023 general elections, with weak mobile signals delaying accreditation in some locations.
INEC has said it will take corrective action on verified irregularities as it reviews the register. The inquiry into the suspicious photographs remains ongoing.