INEC Chairman: Strong Institutions, Not Technology Alone, Key to Responsible AI in Elections
The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, SAN, has stressed that the successful use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Nigeria’s electoral process will depend not only on technological sophistication but also on strong institutions, effective governance and robust safeguards.
Amupitan stated this on Thursday, September 10, 2026, in Ottawa, Canada, while addressing the Global Conference on Responsible AI and Elections. He presented Nigeria’s experience and ongoing efforts to institutionalise responsible AI in electoral administration. He was accompanied by INEC Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr. Lawrence Bayode.
The INEC Chairman said the growing influence of algorithms and data systems on democratic processes made responsible technological innovation increasingly important for election management bodies.
He noted that Nigeria had progressively adopted technology to improve the credibility, efficiency and transparency of its elections, citing the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS), INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) and Automated Biometrics Identification System (ABIS).
According to him, the scale of Nigeria’s electoral operations makes technology an essential component of modern election management, with more than 93 million registered voters, approximately 180,000 polling units and about 185,000 BVAS devices deployed across the 36 states and the Federal Capital Territory.
Amupitan, however, cautioned that AI adoption should not be driven by technology for its own sake, but by its ability to improve electoral administration, public service and citizens’ confidence in the electoral process.
“AI must strengthen electoral integrity, improve public service, and always remain under human control,” he said.
INEC Establishes AI Division
The Chairman disclosed that INEC had commenced institutional preparations for the responsible deployment of AI, stressing that the initiative was being treated as an organisational transformation rather than simply an ICT project.
He revealed that the Commission had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and developed an AI Roadmap for phased adoption.
INEC has also developed an AI Governance Framework currently undergoing internal approval, commenced AI literacy and technical capacity-building programmes for staff, and adopted a multidisciplinary approach involving ICT, Operations, Legal, Voter Education, Risk Management and other departments.
“Responsible AI begins with institutional readiness — not technology,” Amupitan stated.
He identified five key principles guiding INEC’s AI initiatives: human oversight; transparency and accountability; data protection and privacy; cybersecurity and risk management; and operational value and public trust.
The Chairman emphasised that AI would assist election officials rather than replace human responsibility in electoral decision-making.
AI to Assist in Identifying Result Discrepancies
Giving an insight into one of INEC’s AI initiatives, Amupitan disclosed that the Commission had introduced an intelligent Results Management process designed to help identify discrepancies in election result records.
Under the system, polling unit result forms are digitised, information is extracted from scanned Forms EC8A and the extracted figures are compared with data entered on BVAS.
Where inconsistencies are detected, the system automatically flags them for review by election officials before publication.
He stressed that the technology would not alter election results, but would assist officials by identifying records requiring further human examination.
According to him, successful AI deployment requires more than software and computing infrastructure. It also requires trained personnel, quality electoral data, secure digital platforms, reliable computing resources, systems integration, audit trails, risk controls and effective collaboration across departments.
INEC Exploring AI-Powered Voter Services
The INEC Chairman also disclosed that the Commission was exploring AI-powered citizen services to improve voter engagement and access to electoral information.
Potential applications include intelligent voter information services, AI-assisted responses to frequently asked questions, support for voter registration processes and faster access to electoral information.
He said the success of INEC’s AI initiatives would be assessed through practical indicators such as reduced processing errors, improved operational efficiency, system reliability and resilience, staff acceptance, security performance, public confidence and the sustainability of solutions for nationwide deployment.
Initiatives that fail to demonstrate sufficient value, he added, would be reviewed and refined before being expanded.
Legal and Ethical Safeguards
Amupitan also outlined the legal framework supporting technology deployment in Nigeria’s electoral process, including the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the Electoral Act 2026, INEC Regulations, the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023 and the Cybercrimes Act 2024.
He highlighted provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 concerning the voters’ register, electronic voting devices, biometric accreditation, electronic transmission of results, and the use of accreditation and transmitted results in the collation and declaration of election results.
Looking ahead, the INEC Chairman said the Commission’s vision was to progressively develop an AI-enabled Election Management Body while maintaining strong institutional governance, staff capacity, cybersecurity, transparency, accountability and public trust.
He said AI would only be introduced where it could demonstrate clear value to electoral administration and remain consistent with legal and ethical standards.
Concluding his presentation, Amupitan emphasised that the ultimate purpose of AI in elections must be to strengthen democratic institutions rather than replace them.
“Responsible AI is not defined by the sophistication of the technology, but by the strength of the institutions that govern it,” he said.
INEC Chairman: Strong Institutions, Not Technology Alone, Key to Responsible AI in Elections