INEC blames registration officers for AI-generated photos, other irregularities in voter register

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has blamed some of its registration officers for introducing suspected Artificial Intelligence-generated photographs and other questionable records into the preliminary Register of Voters ahead of the 2027 general election.

The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this on Friday during an interview on Arise Television, saying some registration officers allegedly exploited their official login credentials to introduce irregularities into the database.

Bayode explained that the officers, who had access to the voter registration system, were responsible for some of the questionable entries identified across different states.

“We have registration officers on the field. And these registration officers, they have login details to log into the system.

“So what we have found is that some of these registration officers, not all of them now, some of them across the states nationwide, they’ve done different things to bring these irregularities onto the register,” he said.

He said the commission uncovered the irregularities through its Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which it uses to examine and identify questionable registration records.

According to him, some of the photographs were AI-generated, while others resulted from what he described as very poor registration practices.

“Some of these pictures are AI-generated. Some of them not AI-generated, but very bad registration. And this thing got into the register by the registration officers and because they have access to register people,” he said.

Bayode added that INEC had identified the affected records and established how some of the irregularities occurred, although the commission was yet to determine the motive behind the actions.

“When the ABIS was run on the system, we saw these people. We know what they did. We know how they did it. But honestly, I don’t know why,” he said.

He said INEC had commenced efforts to clean up the register even before publishing the preliminary version, noting that the commission was under pressure to complete the exercise within the statutory 90-day period.

The disclosure comes amid public concerns over the credibility of the preliminary Register of Voters uploaded to INEC’s website on October 26.

The controversy erupted after screenshots circulated on social media showing voter records bearing photographs suspected to have been generated by AI, particularly in parts of Edo State.

Other concerns raised by members of the public included alleged duplicate registrations, the appearance of names of deceased persons and complaints by some registered voters that their details were missing from the online register.

In response to the concerns, INEC said on October 27 that it had identified and flagged questionable records during the physical display of the preliminary register at Registration Areas nationwide between October 9 and 15.

The commission explained that the online register was the same preliminary document displayed physically across the country and that its publication did not reflect all the data-cleanup activities already underway.

It said it had commenced a review of the affected records and would take corrective action based on verified findings.

INEC also stressed that the published register was not the final certified version, explaining that the Display, Claims and Objections exercise was designed to enable registered voters and other stakeholders to identify inaccuracies and irregularities before certification.

Bar & Bench Watch reports that the controversy over the preliminary voter register has raised questions about the integrity of INEC’s registration process, particularly the possibility of unauthorised or questionable entries being introduced by officials with access to the commission’s database.

The appearance of suspected AI-generated photographs has also heightened concerns about the use of technology to manipulate voter records and the effectiveness of the safeguards designed to prevent fraudulent registrations.

The concerns are significant because the Register of Voters is a fundamental component of the electoral process. Its accuracy is essential to ensuring that eligible citizens are registered, ineligible persons are excluded and the credibility of elections is protected.

INEC’s ongoing verification and data-cleanup exercise is therefore expected to establish the extent of the irregularities, identify those responsible and ensure that questionable entries are addressed before the final register is certified.

The commission is expected to complete the verification, adjudication and data-cleanup processes before certifying the final Register of Voters on December 15, 2026.

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