…ICT Director Reveals Registration Officers Introduced AI-Generated Images, Other Irregularities Nationwide
…Former VP Demands Independent Forensic Probe, Insists Culprits Must Be Named
…Threatens Lawsuit Over Secrecy Surrounding Companies Handling Sensitive Election Materials
Daud Olatunji
The Independent National Electoral Commission has admitted that some of its registration officers across the country introduced irregularities, including artificial intelligence-generated photographs, into Nigeria’s national voter register, triggering fresh demands for accountability and an independent forensic audit ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The admission has prompted former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar to demand the immediate identification and prosecution of officials responsible for the alleged manipulation, warning that the controversy could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed the involvement of registration officers during an interview with ARISE Television on Friday.
Bayode explained that some registration officers had exploited their authorised login credentials to introduce questionable photographs and other irregularities into the voter registration database.
According to him, the problem was not limited to AI-generated photographs, as investigators also discovered duplicate entries and images that did not meet acceptable registration standards.
“I can tell you how AI-generated photos found their way into the register. Number one, you know, we have registration officers on the field, and these registration officers have login details to log into the system.
“So what we have found out is that some of these registration officers—not all of them now, some of them across the states nationwide—they’ve done different things to bring these irregularities into the register,” Bayode said.
The ICT director disclosed that the commission had commenced efforts to clean up the database, adding that its review had uncovered different categories of irregularities.
“So, we’re cleaning up; we’re seeing a lot of things, different people doing different things, some of them similar. Some of these pictures are AI-generated, some of them not AI-generated, but very bad registration.
“This thing got into the register by the registration officers, and because they have access to register people,” he added.
The development followed public concerns over AI-generated photographs and multiple registration entries discovered in INEC’s preliminary voter register published online earlier in October.
The controversy has raised questions about the commission’s verification procedures, internal security controls and the integrity of the database expected to guide the 2027 elections.
Reacting to the admission, Atiku described the development as a serious breach of public trust, arguing that the commission responsible for protecting Nigerians’ votes had acknowledged that its own personnel abused the system entrusted to them.
In a statement issued on Friday by Phrank Shaibu, Director of Strategic Communication of the African Democratic Congress Presidential Campaign Council, the former Vice-President accused INEC of failing to provide satisfactory explanations about the alleged manipulation.
“INEC has admitted that some AI-generated images are on the voter register and that registration officers introduced irregularities across the country.
“The commission charged with protecting Nigerians’ votes has acknowledged that its own system was abused by those entrusted to operate it. This is a catastrophic failure of leadership and safeguards,” Atiku said.
He particularly faulted INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, over the commission’s explanation of how the irregularities occurred and its apparent inability to establish why the officials involved allegedly manipulated the database.
Atiku questioned why the commission could acknowledge that its registration officers had tampered with the register but had yet to publicly identify those responsible or explain the actions taken against them.
He demanded that INEC disclose the findings of its investigation, name the implicated officials and explain why they had not been suspended or prosecuted.
“If INEC knows how the register was compromised, it must disclose the evidence, identify every officer involved and explain why they have not been suspended and prosecuted.
“Amupitan cannot admit the misconduct, withhold the perpetrators’ identities and expect Nigerians to accept ignorance as an excuse. He must account for this failure now,” he said.
The former Vice-President also raised concerns over reports that more than 20 million AI-generated images might be involved in the controversy, insisting that the commission must not simply remove questionable entries without preserving evidence of how the irregularities occurred.
He called for an independent forensic audit of the entire voter register, urging INEC to preserve all voter records, image files, system access logs and audit trails for examination by independent experts.
Atiku further demanded that accredited forensic specialists, political parties, civil society organisations and credible international observers be allowed to scrutinise the database.
He maintained that no disputed records should be certified until an independent examination had established the extent of the alleged manipulation and the reliability of the register.
Beyond the voter database controversy, Atiku accused INEC of failing to address opposition parties’ demands for disclosure of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials.
He argued that political parties should have access to information about the companies handling critical electoral materials and the security arrangements governing their operations.
“If the APC government knows who is handling these materials and what protocols apply, opposition parties must receive the same information. Publish the contractors’ identities and explain the safeguards governing their work,” he said.
Atiku threatened to approach the courts to compel the commission to disclose the information, insisting that officials found to have manipulated the register must face prosecution.
He also called on opposition leaders and the international community to demand an independent audit, full disclosure and accountability from the electoral body.
The former Vice-President accused President Bola Tinubu’s administration of allowing INEC to evade scrutiny, warning that the controversy could affect confidence in preparations for the 2027 general elections.
“INEC has no right to demand trust while concealing evidence and shielding those responsible. Name the culprits, expose the contractors and submit the register and election materials to independent scrutiny.
“Until then, its assurances are worthless. The credibility of the 2027 election is on the line,” Atiku added.
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