The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has flagged 268 voter records over suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs and other irregularities in its preliminary Register of Voters ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this during an interview on Channels Television’s *Sunday Politics*, explaining that the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) had identified the questionable records for further examination.
Bayode said INEC was reviewing the 268 records to determine which contained photographs generated entirely by artificial intelligence and which involved other forms of irregularities.
He also raised concerns about the alleged misuse of a special registration option designed for persons with disabilities who have incomplete fingers or no fingers. According to him, some individuals allegedly exploited the provision to create questionable voter profiles using official credentials.
The ICT director, however, clarified that not all photographs enhanced with AI technology would be removed from the register. He explained that genuine photographs improved using AI-powered applications on mobile phones would not automatically disqualify the affected voters.
“Those that we know it is the AI on the phone that helped enhance their pictures, we can’t exclude such people because it was the AI on the phone that does that. Such people will still be on the register, but those AI-generated photographs will be removed. We are already looking at them,” he said. <Cite refs={["turn863134search0","turn863134search3"]}/>
The development follows public concerns after INEC published its preliminary Register of Voters online on October 26. Screenshots circulated on social media showing suspicious photographs attached to some voter records, particularly entries reportedly linked to parts of Edo State.
The controversy also raised questions about alleged duplicate registrations and reports that the names of deceased persons appeared in the register.
INEC has maintained that the preliminary register is not the final certified version, explaining that the publication and display exercise are intended to allow Nigerians to identify errors, challenge questionable entries and request corrections.
The commission is expected to complete its verification, adjudication and data-cleanup exercises before certifying the final Register of Voters on December 15, 2026. <Cite refs={["turn863134search1","turn863134search2","turn863134search6"]}/>