By Faith Anisiobi, The Sight News
The International Press Centre (IPC) has called for sustained electoral accountability, institutional transparency and stronger collaboration among stakeholders as Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, following the conclusion of a two-day National Summit on Electoral Information Integrity in Abuja.
The summit, themed “Beyond the Ballot: Safeguarding Electoral Information Integrity in the Age of AI,” brought together electoral stakeholders, media professionals, technology experts, academics, civil society organisations, political parties and representatives of government institutions to examine the growing threats posed by artificial intelligence (AI), disinformation and Foreign Information Manipulation and Interference (FIMI) to Nigeria’s democratic process.
The engagement, organised by the International Press Centre, the Centre for Media and Society (CEMESO), International IDEA and DAI, with support from the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme (EU-SDGN), ended on Tuesday, November 3, with renewed calls for transparency, accountability and collective action to safeguard electoral information ahead of the 2027 polls.
At the closing session, IPC Executive Director, Dr Lanre Arogundade, underscored the importance of sustaining the conversations and commitments generated during the summit, stressing that protecting electoral information integrity required continuous engagement beyond election day.
Arogundade expressed appreciation to the European Union, programme partners, resource persons, facilitators and participants for their contributions to the two-day engagement.
He particularly acknowledged the contributions of the various technical teams, researchers, moderators, panellists and participating organisations whose efforts enriched the discussions and helped advance the objectives of the summit.
He also highlighted the importance of the simulation exercise conducted during the summit, which brought together representatives of INEC, civil society and the media to examine how stakeholders could respond to an emerging electoral disinformation crisis.
The exercise provided an opportunity to test institutional preparedness, communication channels and coordination mechanisms in addressing information threats that could undermine public confidence in the electoral process.
Arogundade disclosed that recommendations and proposals generated from the different sessions would be harmonised into a communiqué, providing a basis for further engagement and action by relevant stakeholders.
Atabatere calls for greater INEC transparency
Also speaking at the conclusion of the summit, artificial intelligence and technology expert, Ade Atabatere, called on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to strengthen transparency and accountability to improve public confidence ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Atabatere expressed cautious optimism about the commission’s preparedness to confront emerging technological threats, including AI-generated misinformation, deepfakes and manipulated electoral information.
He, however, maintained that INEC’s actual level of preparedness would become clearer during the elections.
While acknowledging what he considered improvements in the commission’s internal checks and balances, he identified transparency as the most important reform needed to strengthen public trust.
He also advocated stronger collaboration between government institutions and private organisations, noting that addressing the country’s technological and democratic challenges required shared responsibility.
Atabatere further expressed concern about the limited participation of young people in important electoral discussions, emphasising the need for more inclusive engagement and greater youth involvement in shaping the country’s democratic future.
He noted that artificial intelligence could serve both as a tool for spreading misinformation and as an instrument for detecting, verifying and countering false information, depending on how it is deployed.
Stakeholders raise concern over AI-Generated disinformation
The second-day discussions built on concerns raised during the opening session about the growing influence of artificial intelligence on political communication, electoral narratives and public confidence in democratic institutions.
Participants examined the dangers posed by manipulated videos, cloned voices, fabricated election results, coordinated online campaigns and other forms of digital deception capable of misleading voters and creating confusion during elections.
The discussions also highlighted the growing challenge of distinguishing authentic information from AI-generated content, particularly as technological advances make it increasingly difficult to identify manipulated materials.
Former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, had advocated practical technological interventions, including the deployment of AI-powered chatbots by the electoral commission to provide voters with accurate and verified information about electoral procedures.
The proposal was considered against the backdrop of growing concerns that false announcements, fabricated results and manipulated digital content could undermine public confidence in elections even without physical interference with the voting process.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, SAN, had similarly warned that emerging technological threats could influence public perception, distort political communication and weaken confidence in electoral institutions.
He stressed the importance of collaboration among government agencies, security institutions, media organizations, technology companies and civil society groups in developing effective responses to information manipulation.
EU cautions against using AI regulation to suppress freedom
The summit also examined the need to balance efforts to combat disinformation with the protection of fundamental rights, particularly freedom of expression and media freedom.
European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and ECOWAS, Gautier Mignot, cautioned against using concerns about AI-generated misinformation as a justification for censorship or the suppression of legitimate public debate.
The position reinforced the need for any measures introduced to address electoral disinformation to respect democratic freedoms, privacy and due process.
Stakeholders acknowledged that while false information could threaten electoral credibility, efforts to regulate digital platforms and online communication must not be used to silence journalists, political opponents or citizens expressing legitimate concerns about public institutions.
The discussions further highlighted the importance of strengthening media literacy, fact-checking mechanisms and responsible digital communication to help citizens identify misleading information.
Calls for coordinated national response
A major concern emerging from the summit was the need for a coordinated national response to electoral information manipulation, particularly as Nigeria approaches another general election.
Participants emphasised that INEC alone could not address the growing threats posed by AI-generated disinformation and coordinated information manipulation.
The media, technology platforms, telecommunications operators, political parties, security agencies, civil society organizations and fact-checkers were identified as important partners in protecting the integrity of electoral information.
The need for early-warning mechanisms, effective verification channels, timely institutional communication and stronger cooperation among stakeholders also featured prominently in the discussions.
Participants stressed that electoral integrity should not be measured solely by the conduct of voting, counting and announcement of results, but also by the credibility of information available to citizens throughout the electoral process.
The summit’s discussions also reinforced the importance of building institutional capacity to anticipate emerging threats, verify evidence, respond to incidents and communicate accurate information to the public.
Communique expected to guide action
With the conclusion of the two-day engagement, the IPC indicated that recommendations, observations and proposals generated from the various sessions would be harmonised into a communiqué to capture the collective positions of participants.
The proposed document is expected to provide a framework for further engagement and practical interventions towards strengthening electoral information integrity ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The summit ended with renewed emphasis on transparency, electoral accountability, responsible use of artificial intelligence, media freedom, inclusive participation and stronger collaboration among democratic institutions.
As Nigeria moves closer to the 2027 general elections, the central message from the engagement is that safeguarding democracy requires more than credible voting procedures. It also demands informed citizens, transparent institutions, responsible deployment of technology and a media environment capable of providing accurate and reliable information.
The challenge now is to translate the recommendations and commitments generated at the summit into practical measures that will protect public trust, strengthen electoral accountability and preserve the integrity of Nigeria’s democratic process before, during and after the 2027 elections.
