Nigeria’s Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) ICT Director Lawrence Bayode described a proposed artificial intelligence (AI) check for 2027 election results aimed at catching tally mismatches before figures reach the results system.
BusinessDay and Gistsmate reported that Bayode outlined the system at an Oct. 22 event in Abuja organized by RISE Networks; the organizer confirmed the event as part of its AI for Elections initiative. The check would compare electronically submitted tallies with figures visible on digital copies of polling-unit forms, then pause an upload if they differ until the discrepancy is addressed, the outlets reported. Bayode said the measure is intended to improve accuracy and reduce human error, according to both reports.
Other reports describe AI tools at INEC at different stages, without establishing whether they include Bayode’s check. TheCable reported Oct. 6 that INEC Chairman Joash Amupitan said AI auditing tools had been integrated into result verification. The Guardian reported Sept. 10 that the commission had begun deploying AI tools, but did not identify whether those efforts involved the tally comparison Bayode described.
INEC’s review of the 2023 general election described a separate problem. It said presidential polling-unit results did not appear in real time on the commission’s public Result Viewing Portal (IReV) after polls closed Feb. 25, 2023. The review cited internal server errors and a configuration problem affecting how presidential results were mapped to polling units. That account concerns failed or delayed uploads, while Bayode’s reported check focuses on differences between entered figures and scanned forms.
INEC’s election technology policy, dated Sept. 25, 2025, says AI must support human decision-making and requires testing in real electoral settings. National rollout also requires commission approval after a post-pilot report; Bayode’s reported remarks did not say whether his check has completed those steps. EconoTimes previously covered INEC’s human oversight rules for election AI.
INEC’s calendar schedules presidential and National Assembly elections for Jan. 16, 2027, followed by governorship and State House of Assembly elections on Feb. 6.
