Get Guardian on GoogleThe National Coalition of Civil Society Organisations (CSOs) and election observers has demanded an independent forensic audit of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC)’s electoral technology over alleged AI-generated voter photographs.
The coalition made the demand in a statement issued on Monday and signed by Mr Stafford Bisong, Chairman, National Coalition of INEC Consultative Partners, CSOs and Election Observer Groups in Calabar.
Bisong urged President Bola Tinubu to establish an independent Federal Tribunal of Inquiry to investigate the allegations and other irregularities capable of undermining the credibility of the 2027 general elections.
He expressed concern over reports of synthetic photographs, duplicate registrations and alleged questionable voter records discovered following INEC’s publication of its preliminary register on Oct. 26.
He noted that INEC had acknowledged identifying suspicious registration records, including photographs allegedly generated using AI, and commenced a review and corrective process.
He cited media reports alleging that 268 records had been flagged for examination, alongside allegations that some registration officers abused official access credentials to introduce irregularities.
“This controversy raises serious questions about registration procedures, staff accountability, biometric verification, database integrity and the security of INEC’s electoral technology infrastructure,” he stated
“The proposed tribunal should investigate the circumstances surrounding the suspicious photographs, examine INEC’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) and determine whether irregularities could affect the final voter register,” he said.
He recommended forensic examination of registration databases, system logs, access records, biometric information, vendor contracts and other technical evidence to establish how questionable records entered the system.
The chairman proposed a multidisciplinary tribunal comprising retired senior judicial officers, forensic auditors, artificial intelligence experts, cybersecurity specialists, biometric identification professionals and electoral law experts.
He further recommended representation for all 22 registered political parties, alongside election observers and civil society experts, to strengthen the credibility and independence of the investigation.
He proposed that the tribunal be constituted within seven days, issue initial public findings within seven days of inauguration and submit its final report within 30 days.
He called for the immediate preservation of INEC’s original photographs, database records, metadata, registration logs, staff access credentials and other digital evidence to prevent alteration or selective deletion.
The Chairman however, cautioned against indiscriminate removal of questionable voter records, insisting that investigations must protect eligible Nigerians from disenfranchisement and respect INEC’s constitutional responsibilities.
“I urge INEC, political parties, technology providers and international partners to cooperate with the proposed inquiry, insisting that electoral credibility depends on trustworthy technology, transparency and accountability,” he emphasised.
