As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, the Association of Communication Scholars & Professionals of Nigeria (ACSPN) has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen its technological and verification systems to safeguard the integrity of the polls.
The association also called for comprehensive public communication on the deployment of electoral technologies, stressing the need for citizens to understand how digital systems would be used in the electoral process.

The call was contained in a communiqué issued at the end of ACSPN’s 13th Annual International Conference, held at the National Open University of Nigeria (NOUN) Conference Centre, Abuja.
The communiqué was signed and made available to The Guardian by ACSPN’s General Secretary, Dr Solomon Oyeleye.

The conference, which brought together communication scholars, media professionals, policymakers, electoral administrators, technology experts, regulators and civil society organisations, was themed, “Media, Technology and Elections in Africa: Navigating Digital Disruptions and the New Dynamics of Electoral Communication.”
ACSPN noted that electoral integrity now extended beyond traditional voting procedures to include digital infrastructure, voter information systems, electronic transmission of results, data systems and online information ecosystems.

It said the increasing use of artificial intelligence and digital platforms had created new threats to electoral credibility, including misinformation, deepfakes, synthetic audio and video, algorithmic manipulation and coordinated disinformation.
The association therefore urged INEC to invest in technical capacity and develop voting technologies alongside comprehensive communication strategies capable of building public understanding and confidence.

It also recommended independent technical audits of digital voter authentication, electronic transmission and collation platforms to ensure their reliability, transparency and resilience ahead of the elections.
The association called for real-time AI-assisted monitoring and verification mechanisms to detect synthetic media and AI-generated disinformation capable of misleading voters or undermining confidence in electoral outcomes.

It urged stakeholders to explore the use of body-worn cameras for poll workers at suitable locations where voting remains manual, as part of broader efforts to strengthen transparency and accountability.
The association noted that digital platforms could expand political participation, particularly among women and marginalised groups, but warned that micro-targeting, covert influence, online harassment and voter manipulation could also undermine democratic participation.

The association consequently called for stronger regulatory frameworks covering political digital advertising, algorithmic transparency, data use and the activities of technology platforms during elections.
It also urged the review and strengthening of the Electoral Act 2022 and related regulatory frameworks to explicitly address public relations, strategic communication, cybersecurity and media oversight in the electoral process.

ACSPN advocated nationwide media and information literacy programmes, particularly in rural and underserved communities, to equip citizens with the skills to identify misinformation, deepfakes, manipulated content and covert digital influence.
The association stressed that the digital divide could become a democratic divide if unequal access to technology and information was not addressed.

It also called for greater collaboration among scholars, media organisations, electoral bodies, regulators, technology providers and civil society groups to ensure that Nigeria moved from reactive responses to proactive preparedness ahead of the 2027 elections.
The conference also resolved that ACSPN should deploy certified media observation teams during elections and strengthen research partnerships with electoral and regulatory institutions to provide empirical evidence for improving electoral communication and governance.