THE Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has assured Nigerians that election results containing discrepancies will not be uploaded to its Result Viewing Portal (IReV), as the commission prepares to deploy artificial intelligence (AI) technology to strengthen electoral transparency.
News Point Nigeria reports that the Director of ICT at INEC, Dr. Lawrence Bayode, gave the assurance in Abuja during the launch of the AI4Elections Hackathon initiative by Rise Networks, saying results that do not tally with figures on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) would not be uploaded to IReV.
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Bayode said the commission would deploy AI technology using intelligent document processing to digitise polling unit result sheets and conduct consistency checks before results are transmitted.
He explained that INEC was exploring practical applications of artificial intelligence in areas such as voter information services, electoral data management, operational efficiency and the detection of misinformation.
The electoral official said the system would perform consistency checks between figures entered into the BVAS and scanned polling unit result sheets, known as EC8 forms, before allowing transmission.
Bayode said the process was necessary to ensure that results published on IReV were those that actually emanated from polling units.
“It will help to improve accuracy, reduce human error and strengthen transparency. This initiative demonstrates that for INEC, AI is not merely a subject for discussion. We are moving from conversation to practical application while maintaining human oversight, accountability, appropriate safeguards,” he said.
Bayode noted that artificial intelligence had a significant role to play in elections, arguing that the priority was to determine how the technology could be deployed without compromising the integrity, transparency and credibility of the electoral process.
He said the commission recognised that artificial intelligence presented significant opportunities to improve electoral administration.
The INEC director also disclosed that the commission had taken deliberate steps towards the responsible adoption of AI, including the establishment of an Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department.
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“AI elections hackathon presents an opportunity to let the creativity of young Nigerians in addressing real electoral challenges, welcome innovations that can improve voters innovation, expand accessibility for persons with disability, bridge language barriers, strengthen information integrity and make electoral information more accessible to citizens,” he said.
Bayode explained that on September 25, 2025, the commission adopted a policy on election technology appreciation and deployment to provide a framework for streamlining the development, assessment and deployment of electoral technology.
“On September 25, 2025, the commission adopted the policy on election technology appreciation and deployment. This policy provide a framework to streamline the development, appreciation and deployment of election technology by the commission. In this policy, the commission captured the use of AI in elections.
“Recently, when the commission decided to employ the use of AI, it went further to go beyond this policy that was put in place in 2025 to develop a framework that will guide the responsible deployment of AI that is still work in progress,” he said.
On her part, the Chief Executive of Rise Networks, Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunisi, said major stakeholders, including INEC, Meta, Google and Microsoft, among others, had joined forces to launch the #AI4Elections Hackathon ahead of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
She said the initiative was designed to invite eligible Nigerians to apply for the programme, described as a national, multidisciplinary and nonpartisan initiative aimed at bringing together Nigeria’s technology ecosystem, electoral experts, researchers, universities, developers, innovators and civil society organisations.
According to her, the programme would support the development and reward responsible AI projects capable of strengthening electoral processes in 2027 and beyond.
“The programme which will connect innovators, researchers, civil society and electoral stakeholders is structured around three interconnected pillars: the #AI4Elections Hackathon, where participants design, develop and demonstrate solutions to electoral challenges; #AI4Elections Development Hub, which will support the further testing, refinement and development of promising solutions; and the #AI4Elections Community of Practice, which will connect participants, researchers, mentors, institutions and other stakeholders for continued learning, collaboration and knowledge-sharing beyond the Hackathon,” she said.
Akerele-Ogunisi said the programme was a response to the growing influence of artificial intelligence on information production, digital communications and civic participation.
She added that it would also address emerging challenges associated with the technology, including synthetic media, misinformation, privacy risks, cybersecurity threats and the manipulation of information environments.
