Stakeholders Seek Safeguards Against AI Election Manipulation

Stakeholders have urged relevant authorities to develop strategies to bridge the gap between the risks and benefits of Artificial Intelligence (AI) ahead of the 2027 general elections.

They also called for increased digital literacy, public awareness and stronger safeguards against misinformation to ensure free, fair and credible elections in Nigeria.

The stakeholders spoke yesterday at a roundtable on “AI Governance, Democracy and Accountability in Nigeria”, organised by the Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC) in Abuja.

The event, themed “Bridging the Governance Gap Between AI, Elections and Accountability in Nigeria,” focused on the impact of emerging technologies on democratic processes.

After the meeting, the chief executive officer of PPDC, Lucy Abagi, stressed the need to localise AI interventions to ensure rural communities without internet access or digital literacy were not excluded from technological advancements.

She said, “It is not just about organisations using AI. We must ensure that grassroots communities also understand and benefit from these innovations.”

Abagi disclosed that recommendations from the roundtable would be submitted to the Independent National Electoral Commission to support reforms aimed at strengthening democratic processes.

She dismissed concerns that AI adoption in elections was belated, noting that technological reforms evolve gradually.

“If INEC were not adopting technology, we would not have BVAS or IReV. These are steps towards improving electoral credibility,” she added.

Abagi maintained that Nigeria already had policies guiding the ethical use of artificial intelligence to prevent misuse and protect citizens.

The programme’s organiser, Vivian Akagha, warned that vulnerable citizens were increasingly exposed to manipulated content and fake videos that could influence public opinion ahead of the 2027 elections.

She said many grassroots residents lacked access to credible information needed to make informed electoral choices.

“I realised that grassroots people who are not properly informed do not always have access to the right information to make insightful decisions about who to vote for,” she said.

Akagha warned that AI tools could easily be abused to misrepresent political candidates and spread false narratives.

A lecturer in the Department of Development and Strategic Communication at the University of Abuja, Jemila Mohammed Dahiru, called for sustained advocacy, public sensitisation and accountability in the deployment of artificial intelligence.

“The conversation revealed that there are a lot of efforts in place, and AI itself can strengthen processes and probably push for better results,” she said.