2027 Elections: INEC Chairman Explains Why AI Won’t Decide Winners

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Key Takeaways

INEC Chairman Prof. Joash Amupitan says algorithms will not determine the winners of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections.
He says artificial intelligence could support election logistics, result auditing, biometric database maintenance and cybersecurity.
Amupitan insists that critical electoral decisions, including voter accreditation and result collation, will remain subject to human oversight.
He reports that INEC has completed 10 of 14 major operational milestones and is preparing for an election involving more than 103 million registered voters.
The chairman says AI will influence the electoral information environment, making responsible technology use and accountability important to the election process.

Amupitan Says AI Will Support, Not Determine, Nigeria’s 2027 Elections

The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, has said artificial intelligence will not determine the winners of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections, insisting that the choice of the country’s leaders rests with voters.

Amupitan made the declaration at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, where discussions centred on safeguarding the 2027 elections in an era of increasingly sophisticated AI technologies.

According to a statement released by INEC on Wednesday, the chairman maintained that technology must remain a tool for improving electoral administration rather than replacing human judgment and democratic choice.

“AI must remain servant, not master, of Nigerian democracy,” he said.

He further declared that “Algorithms will not, and must never, decide the 2027 vote.”

Amupitan explained that although algorithms can identify patterns, optimise processes and suggest preferences, they cannot replace the authority of Nigerian voters to choose their leaders.

Where INEC Says Artificial Intelligence Could Help

Although Amupitan rejected the idea of algorithms determining election winners, he acknowledged that AI would influence how election information is processed, how electoral logistics are managed and how both legitimate democratic participants and those seeking to disrupt the process operate.

He said the technology could affect the speed and security of election logistics, as well as the information environment in which citizens form their political choices.

The INEC chairman outlined several areas where AI could assist the commission’s operations.

These include:

Predictive logistics: Using data to improve the planning and movement of election materials.
Result audit assistance: Supporting the examination and auditing of election results.
Biometric database maintenance: Helping to identify and address issues affecting the quality of biometric records.
Multilingual voter engagement: Applying natural language processing to communicate election information in different languages.
Cybersecurity defence: Using AI-supported tools to help detect and respond to potential digital threats.

These applications, as described by Amupitan, concern support for election administration. His statement did not establish that every proposed application is already fully operational.

The chairman’s position is that technological assistance must not become a substitute for the people and institutions responsible for electoral decisions.

Human Oversight Will Remain Central to Election Administration

Amupitan said INEC would maintain what he described as the Human Oversight Principle, under which critical electoral decisions would not be fully automated or delegated to autonomous systems.

He specifically identified result collation, voter accreditation and candidate qualification as areas in which human oversight would remain important.

The chairman also stressed that statutory oversight and judicial review would continue to form part of the electoral process.

“Human accountability, statutory oversight, and judicial review will remain paramount at every stage of the electoral chain,” he said.

His remarks distinguish the possible use of AI to support administrative work from the authority to make decisions that affect participation in elections and the determination of their outcomes.

The statement represents INEC’s declared position as presented by the chairman. It does not, on its own, establish how every future AI-supported process will be implemented or independently verify the effectiveness of the proposed safeguards.

The Scale of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections

Amupitan described the 2027 General Elections as the largest democratic exercise on the African continent and one of the most complex administrative undertakings in the world.

According to the figures he cited, the election will involve more than 103 million registered voters, 176,846 polling units and 774 local government areas.

The elections will also involve multiple levels of balloting, covering presidential, National Assembly, governorship and state House of Assembly contests.

The scale of the exercise provides context for INEC’s stated interest in using technology to improve administrative efficiency, voter communication and election security.

However, the chairman’s position is that the use of technology must remain subject to human accountability rather than allowing automated systems to assume responsibility for critical electoral decisions.

INEC Reports Progress on Election Preparations

Amupitan also outlined progress he said the commission had made in preparing for the 2027 elections.

He reported that INEC had completed 10 of the 14 major operational milestones stipulated by the Electoral Act 2026.

The chairman further said the commission had procured additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) units and digitised candidate nominations through the INEC Candidates Nomination Portal (ICNP).

According to his account, the portal was processing more than 15,000 nominations across 22 political parties.

He also identified online voter registration as an initiative introduced by the commission, describing it as a first for Nigeria.

These updates were presented as part of INEC’s preparations for an election involving a large electorate and multiple levels of contests. The supplied report does not detail each of the 14 milestones or reproduce the relevant provisions of the Electoral Act 2026.

The specific milestone count, the legal reference and the claim concerning online registration should therefore be checked against official documents before publication.

AI and the Challenge of Protecting Election Information

Beyond election logistics, Amupitan warned that AI would shape the information environment in which Nigerians make electoral choices.

The technology could influence how information is generated, processed and distributed, while also changing the tactics available to people seeking to disrupt democratic processes.

This makes the chairman’s emphasis on human accountability particularly relevant to the wider discussion about technology and elections.

AI-assisted systems may help officials process information or identify patterns, but their outputs should not automatically be treated as final electoral decisions. The chairman’s stated position is that critical decisions must remain subject to human oversight, statutory requirements and judicial review.

The forum, co-convened by INEC and Yiaga Africa, brought together electoral officials, diplomatic representatives, political party leaders, civil society organisations, media executives, security agencies, technology companies, development partners and academics.

Among those listed as attendees was Abdoulaye Sylla, chairperson of the ECOWAS Network of Electoral Commissions and chairman of Senegal’s Electoral Commission, alongside members of Nigeria’s electoral administration and representatives of other African election management bodies.

The gathering focused on the challenge of safeguarding the 2027 elections as AI becomes more influential in public information and administrative processes.

What Amupitan’s Position Means for the 2027 Elections

The central message from the INEC chairman is that artificial intelligence may assist with aspects of election preparation and administration, but it must not replace voters or assume independent authority over critical electoral decisions.

His remarks outline a proposed balance between technological assistance and human responsibility. They also highlight the need to distinguish between AI tools that support administrative processes and systems that would make or determine electoral decisions.

As preparations continue, the practical significance of the announcement will depend on how INEC implements its stated approach, how the proposed technologies are used and how the commission maintains accountability throughout the electoral process.

The chairman’s statement sets out INEC’s declared position. The actual implementation of these commitments will be an important aspect of the commission’s preparations for the 2027 General Elections.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. What did the INEC chairman say about AI and the 2027 elections?

Prof. Joash Amupitan said algorithms would not determine the winners of Nigeria’s 2027 General Elections. He maintained that voters would remain responsible for choosing the country’s leaders.

2. What role could AI play in the 2027 elections?

Amupitan identified potential uses in election logistics, result audit assistance, biometric database maintenance, multilingual voter engagement and cybersecurity defence.

3. Will INEC allow AI to make critical electoral decisions?

According to Amupitan, INEC will maintain human oversight and will not fully automate or delegate critical decisions such as result collation, voter accreditation and candidate qualification to autonomous systems.

4. How many registered voters are expected to participate in the 2027 elections?

The chairman cited more than 103 million registered voters, alongside 176,846 polling units across 774 local government areas.

5. What progress has INEC reported on preparations for 2027?

Amupitan said the commission had completed 10 of 14 major operational milestones, procured additional BVAS units, digitised candidate nominations through the ICNP and introduced online voter registration. These claims should be checked against official documentation before publication.

6. What is the Human Oversight Principle mentioned by Amupitan?

In his remarks, the principle means that critical electoral decisions should remain subject to human accountability rather than being fully automated or delegated to autonomous systems.

7. Who organised the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026?

The forum was co-convened by INEC and Yiaga Africa. It brought together electoral officials and representatives from government, diplomacy, civil society, the media, security, technology and academia.

8. Does the chairman’s statement prove that AI will not affect election outcomes?

No. His statement expresses INEC’s declared position that algorithms will not determine the vote. He also acknowledged that AI could influence election logistics and the information environment. The practical effect will depend on how technology is used and how the stated safeguards are implemented.

Join the Discussion

How should INEC balance the benefits of artificial intelligence in election administration with the need to maintain human accountability and public confidence in the electoral process?

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