From David Onuoja, Abuja
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), has once again raised concern over the growing threat generative artificial intelligence poses to the credibility of elections,.
While warning that its misuse in producing manipulated audio, video and images, as well as highly targeted messaging to feed conflicting narratives to voters, is no longer a distant, theoretical risk to the Commission.
This warning was issued by the National Commissioner and Chairman of the Information and Voter Education Committee, Mal. Mohammed Haruna, on Monday in Abuja, while declaring open a Capacity Building Workshop for Public Affairs Officers drawn from across the states.
Haruna said generative AI “has made it cheaper and considerably harder to detect manipulated audio, video and images,” adding that its misuse extends beyond fabricated content to targeted messaging capable of dividing voters along conflicting narratives.
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He recalled that INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, speaking recently at the 13th Annual International Conference of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria, had stated that “election credibility today no longer depends only on ballot papers, BVAS machines and result sheets, but depends equally on the information environment in which voters form their judgments”.
The INEC Chairman, he said, had called for electoral technology and electoral communication to be treated “not as separate concerns but as a single discipline.”
Haruna described the workshop, themed “Strengthening PAOs Capacity for Credible, Verified and Responsible Election Communication Towards 2027,” as a direct response to this reality. He said Public Affairs Officers were the frontline communicators of INEC in the states and that the credibility of INEC’s communication, in many respects, begins with the work you do” , he added.
He noted that skills to be built in verification, escalation, and clear, consistent messaging would be tested in real time as the 2027 General Elections approach, and commended the Voter Education and Publicity Department for a programme that is “practical, skills-based and directly relevant.”
In her welcome remarks, the Director of Voter Education and Publicity, Mrs. Victoria Eta-Messi, told participants that “it is through you that Nigerians form much of their impression of who we are, what we stand for, and how reliable our information is.”
She said the Commission operates under constant public scrutiny and is regularly confronted with attempts to misrepresent its work. She further disclosed that the workshop was not a one-off, with further capacity-building interventions “at advanced stages of planning, with development partner support.”
Presenting the objectives, Deputy Director, Information and Publicity, Mr. Wilfred Ifogah, said the training was designed to strengthen practical communication skills for day-to-day work and ahead of 2027.
This includes clarifying escalation lines between PAOs, Heads of VEP and Resident Electoral Commissioners; strengthening consistent writing across press statements, talking points and social media; building capacity to monitor the information ecosystem and respond to misinformation; and introducing the responsible use of AI in communication work, including its practical applications, limitations and safeguards around confidentiality and verification.
