INEC Mentions Those Behind AI-Generated Photos of Voters' Register
- INEC's ICT Director appeared on Arise TV to explain how suspicious photographs entered the commission's voter registration database
- Some registration officers reportedly used their login credentials to introduce questionable records into the system, according to INEC
- The disputed entries came to light after INEC published its preliminary register on October 26, sparking widespread public concern
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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has linked the appearance of suspected AI-generated photographs in its preliminary voter register to the actions of some registration officers who misused their access to the commission's database.
Dr Lawrence Bayode, INEC's Director of Information and Communication Technology, made the disclosure during an interview on Arise TV, saying the commission's internal review pointed to officers who had used their login credentials to introduce irregular entries into the voter database.
Source: Getty Images
How the irregularities got in
Bayode clarified that the problematic entries were not limited to AI-generated images. Some of the questionable photographs, he said, resulted from poor registration practices rather than artificial intelligence. The commission identified both categories through its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which it used to scan the registration database and trace how the irregularities had occurred.
He added that the affected officers were not all deployed to one location, and that the problem did not involve the entire registration workforce.
Among the entries that drew attention were records linked to a polling unit in Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, where photographs believed to have been AI-generated were spotted. The discovery prompted a wave of reactions online, with many Nigerians questioning how such images cleared the commission's verification process.
Register published amid cleanup
Bayode said INEC had already been working to clean up the database before releasing the preliminary register, and that the exercise was taking place within the statutory 90-day window allowed for such reviews. He could not, however, establish the motives behind the actions of the officers allegedly involved, nor did he confirm whether all the disputed records had been fully resolved.
The preliminary register was published on October 26, bringing the questionable entries into public view and raising fresh questions about how the commission collects, verifies, and safeguards voter information. The development has renewed scrutiny of the safeguards meant to prevent unauthorised or improper entries from making it into the official register.
See the video of the INEC spokesperson on X here:
INEC delists some candidates
Legit.ng earlier reported that INEC delisted several governorship and state assembly candidates from its previously published 2027 election roster.
The commission linked the exclusions to a Supreme Court ruling that made the submission of party membership registers mandatory.
INEC spokesman Mohammed Haruna confirmed that while select candidates received clearance subject to pending court cases, others remained barred from contesting.
Source: Legit.ng
