By Helen Okechukwu, JKNewsMedia Reporter
AHEAD OF the 2027 General Elections, Artificial Intelligence (AI) driven deepfakes and premature publication of unofficial election results could undermine public trust in Nigeria’s electoral process, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, has cautioned newsroom leaders.
JKNewsMedia.com reports that represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, issued the warning on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference in Enugu.
Speaking on the theme, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” Amupitan urged media organisations to establish specialised fact checking desks, deploy forensic image analysis tools and ensure that election results are verified through INEC before publication.
He warned that generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning, deepfake videos and automated bot networks had made it easier to manufacture convincing false information, including fake videos of electoral officials, cloned audio recordings and manipulated result sheets.
“We have moved far beyond simple political bias, hyperbole, or unverified rumours into an era of synthetically manufactured reality,” Amupitan said.
He said the danger extended beyond individual falsehoods because synthetic disinformation could erode confidence in genuine information released by constitutional authorities.
“When everything can be faked, citizens begin to doubt genuine, verified facts provided by constitutional authorities,” he said.
Amupitan said deepfakes could also fuel ethnic tension, manipulate emotions and weaken civic participation, warning that the impact of a fabricated online narrative could undermine the work of election officials on the ground.
“For an election management body, administrative success on the ground can be instantly erased on a smartphone screen by a well timed, algorithmically boosted deepfake,” he said.
The INEC chairman disclosed that the commission had moved towards a proactive technological response by establishing a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department.
He said the commission had also started deploying automated AI auditing tools within its Results Management process to detect discrepancies before final verification. He stressed that the automated checks remained subject to a five pillar AI Governance Framework and mandatory human auditing.
Amupitan also cautioned news organisations against publishing or amplifying privately collated election results ahead of official declarations in the 2027 elections.
“Let’s resist premature result declarations. Under the Electoral Act, statutory authority to declare election results rests exclusively with INEC,” he said.
He warned that publishing unverified figures circulated by political actors on social media could create conflicting narratives and undermine confidence in official results.
The chairman urged editors to ensure their platforms did not become channels for unverified election figures and encouraged the media to educate citizens on how to identify synthetic content, fake letterheads and algorithmically generated rage bait.
He also urged newsrooms to prioritise accuracy over the pressure to break election news first.
“The pressure on modern newsrooms to be first is immense. But in national elections, it is vastly more important to be right than to be first,” he said.
Amupitan said publishing unverified claims, fake result sheets, doctored videos or unconfirmed statements could give credibility to deliberate deception and create consequences for public peace.
He appealed to the Nigerian Guild of Editors to regard media gatekeeping as a critical part of national security and democratic defence, calling for a collaborative approach to combating AI driven disinformation before, during and after elections.
The INEC chairman also raised concerns about the economic conditions of Nigerian journalists, linking media welfare to the integrity of journalism and democratic governance.
He told media owners and managers that journalists facing severe financial insecurity, unpaid salaries and inadequate welfare could struggle to withstand political inducement and other pressures.
“A poorly compensated journalist is vulnerable; a financially neglected newsroom is fertile ground for compromise,” he said.
According to Amupitan, journalists who receive decent remuneration and structured welfare are better positioned to resist financial inducement, challenge false narratives and report elections objectively.
He said INEC had applied a similar principle to its own workforce through measures designed to improve the welfare of election officials.
The chairman disclosed that the commission established the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), separating its workforce from the regular Civil Service salary structure with effect from January 1, 2026.
President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr. Eze Anaba, also called for greater media vigilance, saying the media had a responsibility to help sustain democracy, hold power accountable and provide space for diverse voices.
“The political actors alone are not in charge of our democracy, the judiciary and the media have a role to play to strengthen our democracy,” Anaba said.
JKNewsMedia.com also reports that on preparations for the 2027 elections, Amupitan said INEC had commenced a six zone Interactive Meetings and Readiness Assessment tour in Lagos on September 7 to assess preparations across the country.
He said the media had a critical role in the process because elections were no longer contested only at polling units but also in the information space.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, urged INEC to establish a joint Rapid Response Desk involving newsrooms to counter election misinformation.
Achebe also challenged editors to help address voter apathy by educating the public on the importance of participating in the forthcoming general election cycle.
Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said a free press remained necessary for genuine democracy.
He pointed to the diversity of newspapers and the wide range of radio and television stations in Nigeria, as well as the emergence of social media, while noting that artificial intelligence had introduced further opportunities and dangers into the communication space.
“The latest arrival, of course, is artificial intelligence, AI. It is already working wonders in the communication space, though not without its dangers if it is allowed to spin out of human control,” Onaiyekan said.
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