By Peter Omopo
The Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC) has accused the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) of allegedly planning to manipulate the 2027 general elections in favour of the All Progressives Congress (APC) through the use of artificial intelligence.
The party’s National Publicity Secretary, Osa Director, made the allegation in a statement titled “INEC’s Plan to Rig the 2027 General Elections With AI,” questioning the commission’s reported decision to deploy the technology in the electoral process.
Director expressed doubts about INEC’s preparedness to use artificial intelligence for election management, arguing that the technology’s proposed application raised concerns about the credibility of the forthcoming polls.
The NDC also questioned why artificial intelligence was being considered for elections when, according to the party, the country had yet to effectively deploy the technology to address persistent security challenges.
The party further challenged INEC to explain why the technology had not been tested during off cycle elections before its proposed use in the 2027 general elections.
Director specifically questioned why the commission had not conducted a trial during the Osun State off cycle election, arguing that such a test could have helped establish the technology’s effectiveness and reliability.
The party described the proposed deployment as questionable and called on INEC to clarify its plans for incorporating artificial intelligence into the electoral process.
The NDC also urged Nigerians and the international community to scrutinise the commission’s intentions, calling for action against what it characterised as a plot to undermine the electoral process.
However, the allegations were made by the NDC in its statement, and the material provided did not include independent evidence substantiating claims that INEC intended to rig the elections.
The controversy comes as political parties and electoral stakeholders prepare for the 2027 general elections, with the role of technology in improving election administration and safeguarding the credibility of results remaining an important issue.
