By Ochiaka Ugwu
The Federal Government has raised concerns over the growing threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI) to the credibility and successful conduct of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking at the opening ceremony of the National Summit on Electoral Information Integrity in Abuja on Monday, the Minister of Information and National Orientation, Mohammed Idris, said artificial intelligence had made it easier to create convincing fake videos, cloned voices, manipulated photographs and fabricated news reports.
Idris, who was represented by the Executive Secretary of the Nigerian Press Council (NPC), Dilli Ezughah, noted that electoral integrity extended beyond voting, counting and announcing results. He said it also depended on the quality of information available to citizens before, during and after elections.
He warned that when artificial intelligence was deliberately deployed to deceive voters, it could distort public debate, damage reputations, provoke tensions and undermine confidence in democratic institutions.
The minister said Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) had added another dimension to the challenge, involving coordinated efforts by foreign actors to manipulate information, influence public opinion and interfere with democratic processes.
According to him, addressing these threats requires vigilance, cooperation and a clear understanding of the responsibilities of every stakeholder.
While acknowledging the importance of a credible information environment to democratic stability, Idris said Nigeria’s National Artificial Intelligence Strategy, published in 2024, provides a framework for responsible, ethical and inclusive AI development and deployment.
“Its emphasis on governance, transparency and risk management is relevant as we consider how emerging technologies should be used without compromising public trust,” he said.
He emphasised the need to make media and information literacy an important part of national preparedness as the 2027 elections approach.
Although the Electoral Act 2026 provides an important legal framework for election administration, including the mandatory electronic transmission of polling-unit results, Idris maintained that technology alone could not guarantee public confidence.
He stressed that electoral institutions must communicate clearly, journalists must verify information, and citizens must know where to obtain authentic electoral updates.
He added that responses to misinformation must be lawful, proportionate and respectful of fundamental rights, noting that technology platforms, political parties, security agencies, civil society organisations and fact-checkers must recognise their respective responsibilities.
The minister urged the summit to move beyond discussions and produce practical commitments, including stronger verification systems, rapid channels for correcting false information, coordinated responses to information threats and sustained public education ahead of the elections.
He said the integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 elections was a shared responsibility, with every institution and citizen having a role to play.
Also speaking, the Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Amupitan, said elections could be undermined long before the first ballot was cast.
He noted that threats to electoral integrity were no longer limited to physical interference, such as violent ballot snatching at polling units, but were increasingly taking shape within digital networks through synthetic media, automated misinformation and disinformation, deepfake fabrications, digital micro-targeting, and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI).
According to him, the worrying reality is that many democracies are not adequately prepared to confront these emerging threats.
Amupitan said public awareness alone was no longer an adequate defence against synthetic content and digital manipulation.
He explained that informing citizens about the existence of deepfakes or urging them to exercise caution when consuming online news was useful but insufficient to counter well-coordinated, highly funded and precisely targeted information operations designed to erode public trust in election administration.
He said Nigeria needed a trusted, coordinated and rights-respecting operational ecosystem through which public authorities, security agencies, independent fact-checkers, media organisations and digital platform operators could collectively anticipate emerging threats, verify evidence, escalate incidents promptly, communicate authoritatively and institutionalise lessons learned after each incident.
Speaking earlier, the Executive Director of the International Press Centre (IPC), Lanre Arogundade, said the threat posed by artificial intelligence extended beyond Nigeria.
He disclosed that researchers had documented 189 disinformation campaigns across Africa, four times the 2022 figure, with West Africa being the most targeted region, accounting for 72 campaigns. He added that organised social media manipulation had been recorded in at least 81 countries.
Arogundade said digital platforms had also exposed and removed foreign-linked networks that reached Nigerian audiences.
He warned that voices could be cloned within minutes and result sheets forged within seconds, while authentic evidence could be dismissed as artificial intelligence-generated content.
According to him, when citizens can no longer agree on what is real, accountability suffers and public trust in elections declines.
He stressed that awareness alone was insufficient, adding that Nigeria needed a trusted, coordinated and rights-respecting system that would enable institutions to anticipate threats, verify evidence, escalate incidents, communicate authoritatively and learn from every response.
Never miss a moment! Get the stories shaping Nigeria, delivered straight to your phone. Follow Peoplesdaily Newspaper on WhatsApp for breaking news, exclusive reports, and the headlines everyone will be talking about, before anyone else.
