The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned that fabricated election announcements and manipulated media could disrupt Nigeria’s 2027 polls, while the European Union’s ambassador has urged safeguards that protect political criticism and independent journalism.
INEC Chairman Professor Joash Amupitan and EU Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS Gautier Mignot spoke at the opening of the Beyond the Ballot summit in Abuja on Monday, November 2, according to published accounts.
The summit was scheduled for November 2–3 at Abuja Continental Hotel. The organisers’ announcement identified the International Press Centre and the Centre for Media and Society as organisers, working with DAI and International IDEA under the EU-funded Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme.
The gathering examines electoral information risks, including AI-generated content and efforts by foreign actors to manipulate public information.
False announcements could confuse voters
According to The Guardian’s account, Amupitan warned that fabricated results, forged operational directives and manipulated recordings could create confusion and undermine public confidence.
These were warnings about possible tactics, not an announcement that a specific operation targeting the 2027 elections had been uncovered.
Amupitan said INEC was strengthening its technical and communication systems to verify suspicious content and issue authoritative corrections.
Voice of Nigeria also reported that the commission was developing internal monitoring and response mechanisms.
Countering manipulation must protect rights
Mignot said efforts to protect electoral information must preserve freedom of expression and the independence of journalists and fact-checkers.
The Guardian reported his warning that citizens questioning institutions should not automatically be treated as spreading misinformation. Journalists reporting institutional failures, he said, were performing an important democratic function.
He urged stakeholders to establish verification contacts, clarify responsibilities and prepare communication procedures before election-related pressure intensifies.
His remarks also recognised that AI could support translation, accessibility and communication, even as it makes deceptive material easier to produce.
Jega proposes official information chatbot
Former INEC Chairman Professor Attahiru Jega, who chaired the summit, urged the commission to consider an AI-powered chatbot to help voters obtain accurate electoral information.
According to The Guardian, Jega presented the tool as a way for citizens to seek official responses and check claims circulating online.
Jega’s remarks were a recommendation, not an announcement that INEC had launched the service.
IDNN has not independently assessed the readiness or effectiveness of the safeguards described by INEC. It has also not obtained a final summit communiqué confirming any adopted response protocol.
