INEC probes suspected AI-Generated photos in voters’ register, promises corrections
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has begun investigating suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-generated photographs found in its preliminary register of voters, assuring Nigerians that verified irregularities will be corrected before the final register is certified in December.
The commission said some questionable registration records had been identified and flagged for further examination during the physical display of the preliminary register at Registration Areas nationwide between October 9 and 15, 2026.
INEC disclosed this in a press release issued on Tuesday, October 27, by Mohammed Kudu Haruna, Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee (IVEC), following public concerns about suspicious photographs appearing in the register published on its website.
The commission explained that the online register, released on October 26, was the same preliminary document displayed physically across the country earlier in October.
It said the online publication contained the original preliminary register and did not reflect all the data-cleaning activities already underway.
“The Commission commenced the process of reviewing these records and taking appropriate corrective action in accordance with established procedures,” the statement said.
INEC added that it was examining the circumstances surrounding the suspicious photographs, including possible technical or procedural failures that might have allowed them to appear in the register.
According to the commission, appropriate action would be taken after its findings had been verified.
The electoral body stressed that the preliminary register should not be mistaken for the final certified register of voters. It explained that the Display, Claims and Objections exercise was designed to allow registered voters and other stakeholders to examine the list, identify errors and report questionable entries before the final register is approved.
“It is important to emphasise that the preliminary register is not the final certified register,” INEC stated.
The commission said the exercise was an important part of the electoral process because it provided an opportunity to identify inaccuracies and irregularities and make necessary corrections before certification.
It also welcomed the concerns raised by Nigerians, noting that public scrutiny would help improve the accuracy and credibility of the voters’ register.
INEC assured citizens that verified irregularities would be addressed through the appropriate procedures and that further updates would be provided as the investigation progressed.
The commission said it remained committed to completing the verification, adjudication and data-cleaning processes before the final Register of Voters is certified on December 15, 2026.
The development follows public criticism of INEC after it uploaded the preliminary register to its online platform on October 26, ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Reports by Premium Times and TheCable said the publication followed calls for wider public access to the register, which had earlier been displayed physically at Registration Areas across the country. The exercise was intended to enable registered voters to inspect their details and submit claims or objections.
The appearance of photographs suspected to have been generated using AI has since raised questions about the commission’s procedures for verifying voter information.
The controversy has increased public attention on the accuracy of the register and the measures being taken to prevent questionable records from appearing in the final list of eligible voters.
However, INEC has maintained that the online register is still preliminary and that the review process is ongoing. It has not, in the statement, provided a final account of how the suspicious photographs entered the records or disclosed the full number of affected entries.
Under the process described by INEC, the Display, Claims and Objections exercise allows registered voters to identify mistakes in their particulars and raise concerns about questionable entries before the list is finalised.
The commission is expected to complete the necessary reviews and certify the final register on December 15, 2026, according to its announcement.
INEC reiterated that it would take appropriate action based on verified findings and assured Nigerians that the review would be conducted in accordance with established procedures.
