The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged newsroom leaders across the country to strengthen fact-checking and digital verification systems to counter artificial intelligence-driven deepfakes ahead of the 2027 General Elections.
The commission warned that synthetic disinformation posed a serious threat to public trust and democratic stability.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, who was represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu State, Dr Chukwuemeka Chukwu, gave the charge on Thursday, September 24, 2026, at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) 2026 in Enugu.
Delivering an address titled, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” Amupitan cautioned that generative AI, voice cloning and deepfake technology had made mass deception easier, enabling malicious actors to produce fake videos of election officials, cloned audio recordings and doctored result sheets.
In a statement issued by his Chief Press Secretary, Adedayo Oketalo, Amupitan urged media organisations to establish specialised fact-checking desks, deploy forensic image-analysis tools and verify election results through INEC before publication.
He said: “We have moved far beyond simple political bias, hyperbole, or unverified rumours into an era of synthetically manufactured reality. Generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning, deepfake video synthesis, and automated bot networks have democratised mass deception.
“The primary danger of synthetic disinformation is not merely that it tricks citizens into believing a specific falsehood, but that it causes the systemic destruction of public trust. When everything can be faked, citizens begin to doubt genuine, verified facts provided by constitutional authorities.”
Amupitan said INEC had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department and commenced deploying automated AI auditing tools in the Results Management process to detect discrepancies before final verification.
He emphasised that the automated checks remained subject to a five-pillar AI Governance Framework and mandatory human auditing.
The INEC chairman also cautioned media organisations against publishing or amplifying privately collated election results ahead of the 2027 elections.
“Let’s resist premature result declarations. Under the Electoral Act, statutory authority to declare election results rests exclusively with INEC.
“Amplifying unverified, privately collated figures published by political actors on social media creates conflicting public narratives that undermine official outcomes. We should use our platforms to educate citizens on spotting synthetic content, fake letterheads and algorithmically generated rage-bait,” he said.
He urged editors to prioritise accuracy over the pressure to be first, warning that unverified election claims could undermine public confidence and peace.
Amupitan also linked media welfare to the integrity of journalism, saying journalists facing financial insecurity could be vulnerable to political inducement.
“A poorly compensated journalist is vulnerable; a financially neglected newsroom is fertile ground for compromise,” he said.
He disclosed that INEC had 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, said the media had a responsibility to hold power accountable and strengthen democracy.
The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, urged INEC to establish a joint Rapid Response Desk involving newsrooms to counter election misinformation.
He also urged editors to help address voter apathy through public education.
The Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said a free press was necessary for genuine democracy, noting that artificial intelligence had brought new opportunities and dangers to the communication space.
