The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has identified officials in about 10 states allegedly responsible for uploading artificial intelligence-generated photographs to Nigeria’s voters’ register, warning that those involved will face disciplinary action.

The commission disclosed that the affected photographs had been removed from the register, describing the incident as one of the emerging challenges it must address ahead of the 2027 general elections.

INEC National Commissioner, Mohammed Haruna, made this known on Wednesday, November 11, during a webinar organised by the PUNCH Media Foundation with the theme, “AI, Misinformation and Nigeria’s 2027 Elections: Safeguarding the Truth, Protecting the Vote.”

Haruna, who chairs the commission’s Information and Voter Education Committee, said the discovery highlighted the growing risks associated with the misuse of artificial intelligence in the electoral process.

He explained that although it might be difficult for the commission to stop members of the public from manipulating their photographs digitally before submitting them for registration, INEC would not tolerate such misconduct among its personnel.

“We have already seen one of the challenges, which is that a lot of AI-generated photographs were posted onto the voters’ register, which, as we have said, we have had to take down,” he said.

The national commissioner confirmed that the commission had identified the staff members involved in the incident across approximately 10 states and was preparing to sanction them.

“We have their names across about 10 states, and obviously, they are going to face disciplinary action,” he added.

Haruna also revealed that INEC had prepared a draft policy to guide the application of artificial intelligence in the electoral process, although the document was yet to receive final approval.

He noted that the rapid development of AI technology had created regulatory difficulties, even for advanced democracies, making it challenging to establish comprehensive guidelines for its use.

According to him, the commission had already mapped out areas where the technology could be deployed and would make the proposed policy available to the media and the public once it was finalised.

The development underscores INEC's growing concerns over the potential misuse of emerging technologies as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, particularly regarding the integrity of voter registration and the credibility of the electoral process.