The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has flagged 268 records in its preliminary Register of Voters over suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs and other irregularities.
The commission said it had begun reviewing the affected entries as part of efforts to clean up the voter database ahead of the 2027 general elections.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s Sunday Politics.
He explained that the commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) identified the questionable records for further examination.
“What we are currently doing now is looking at all these 268 records that ABIS already flagged as AI-generated or even something of irregularities,” Bayode said.
INEC Reviews Suspected Irregularities
Bayode alleged that some individuals exploited a special registration option created for persons with disabilities who have incomplete fingers or no fingers.
The option, known as special registration, reportedly provided a loophole for creating questionable voter profiles.
According to the ICT director, INEC has started removing records found to contain irregularities from the preliminary register.
“Those that we have seen, we are cleaning up,” he said.
However, Bayode clarified that the use of AI tools to enhance genuine photographs would not automatically disqualify affected voters.
He distinguished between authentic photographs improved with AI applications and images generated entirely through artificial intelligence.
“Those that we know it is the AI on the phone that helped enhance their pictures, we can’t exclude such people because it was the AI on the phone that does that.
“Such people will still be on the register but those AI-generated, those photographs, all these will be removed. We are already looking at them,” he added.
Preliminary Voters’ Register Sparks Controversy
The development follows the publication of INEC’s preliminary Register of Voters on its website on October 26.
The publication triggered public criticism after screenshots circulated on social media showing suspicious photographs attached to voter records, particularly in parts of Edo State.
Concerns also emerged over alleged duplicate registrations, names of deceased persons and complaints from registered voters who could not find their details online.
The controversy prompted political leaders, civil society figures and other Nigerians to demand explanations from the electoral commission.
Kwankwaso, Utomi Demand Accountability
The Nigeria Democratic Congress vice-presidential candidate, Rabiu Kwankwaso, called for a thorough, transparent and independent investigation.
In a statement shared on X, he said Nigerians deserved more than assurances from the commission.
Kwankwaso urged INEC to publish its findings and ensure that anyone found responsible faced appropriate consequences under the law.
He also called for the verification of questionable entries and investigations into possible duplicate or artificial identities.
Meanwhile, political economist Pat Utomi warned that the discovery raised serious questions about INEC’s verification and accountability mechanisms.
In a post on X, Utomi said the commission could not afford to compromise the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
He described the presence of suspected AI-generated images in the voter register as a threat to transparency and public confidence.
The National Coordinator of the Obidient Movement, Dr Moses Paul, also demanded an explanation.
Paul questioned how the suspected images entered a register designed to protect the electoral process.
Rights Group Raises Concerns Over Voter Register
The Director of the Policy and Legal Advocacy Centre, Clement Nwankwo, also questioned the credibility of the preliminary register.
Speaking on ARISE News, he raised concerns over the reported increase in registered voters from more than 90 million to 103 million.
Nwankwo questioned the accuracy of the figures and the procedures used to verify voter information.
He also urged INEC to improve communication with political parties and provide greater transparency about its preparations for the 2027 elections.
Furthermore, he warned that weaknesses in voter registration and polling unit transfer processes could disenfranchise eligible Nigerians.
INEC Says Final Register Is Not Ready
INEC had earlier defended the publication of the preliminary register, explaining that the online version was the same document displayed physically across Registration Areas from October 9 to 15.
The commission said the online publication did not reflect all the data-cleanup activities already underway.
It also stressed that the preliminary register was not the final certified document.
The Display, Claims and Objections exercise allows members of the public to identify errors, report questionable entries and request corrections before certification.
INEC said it was investigating the circumstances surrounding the suspicious photographs, including possible technical or procedural lapses.
The commission’s chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, also said corrective action would follow verified findings.
INEC is expected to complete its verification, adjudication and data-cleanup processes before certifying the final Register of Voters on December 15, 2026.
