INEC Flags 268 Questionable Voter Records Over Suspected AI-Generated Photos

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has flagged 268 questionable entries in its preliminary Register of Voters following the discovery of suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-generated photographs and other registration irregularities.

The Commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT), Dr Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this during an interview on Arise Television. He said some registration officers allegedly abused their access to INEC’s registration system to introduce questionable information into the electoral database.

According to Bayode, the irregularities were detected through the Commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS), which identified suspicious records for further investigation.

He explained that some registration officers allegedly used their official login credentials to manipulate the registration process, adding that the cases had been discovered across different states.

INEC Identifies AI-Generated Photographs in Voter Records

Bayode said the questionable records contained different forms of irregularities. While some featured photographs allegedly generated entirely through artificial intelligence, others resulted from poor registration practices.

He explained that registration officers were responsible for some of the entries because they had access to the system used to enrol voters.

“We have registration officers on the field. And these registration officers, they have login details to log into the system.

“So what we have found is that some of these registration officers, not all of them now, some of them across the states nationwide, they’ve done different things to bring these irregularities onto the register,” Bayode said.

The ICT director added that the Commission had identified how some of the questionable entries entered its database, although the reasons behind the alleged actions of the officers remained unclear.

“Some of these pictures are AI-generated. Some of them not AI-generated, but very bad registration. And this thing got into the register by the registration officers and because they have access to register people,” he stated.

Bayode disclosed on November 1 that INEC had begun examining the 268 records flagged by its biometric identification system. He said the Commission would remove entries confirmed to be irregular after completing the necessary verification.

INEC Explains Difference Between AI-Generated and Enhanced Photos

Bayode, however, clarified that the use of artificial intelligence to improve a photograph would not automatically disqualify a voter.

He distinguished between photographs created entirely with AI and genuine images enhanced through artificial intelligence features available on mobile phones.

According to him, photographs of genuine individuals improved with AI-powered tools would not necessarily lead to the removal of their voter records. However, entirely AI-generated photographs attached to questionable registration entries would be removed once the Commission confirms the irregularities.

The ICT director also revealed that some individuals allegedly exploited a special registration option intended for persons with disabilities, particularly those who have missing fingers or no fingers, to create questionable voter profiles.

Social Media Reports Trigger Concerns Over Preliminary Voters’ Register

The development follows public concerns that emerged after INEC uploaded its preliminary Register of Voters to its website on October 26, 2026.

The publication attracted widespread attention after screenshots circulated on social media showing suspicious photographs attached to voter records. Some of the entries were reportedly linked to parts of Edo State.

Concerns also emerged over alleged duplicate registrations and complaints from some registered voters who claimed that their details were missing from the online register.

In response, INEC, through the Chairman of its Information and Voter Education Committee, Mohammed Kudu Haruna, acknowledged on October 27 that it had identified questionable records and flagged them for further examination.

The Commission explained that the online register was the same preliminary document physically displayed at Registration Areas across the country between October 9 and 15 under its Display, Claims and Objections exercise.

INEC maintained that the online publication did not reflect all the data-cleaning activities already in progress. It also stressed that the preliminary register was not the final certified version.

Final Voters’ Register Scheduled for Certification in December

INEC has assured Nigerians that it will address the identified irregularities through verification and corrective procedures before certifying the final Register of Voters.

The Commission has scheduled December 15, 2026, for the certification of the final register, following the completion of its verification, adjudication and data-cleanup processes.

The discovery has renewed concerns about the security of Nigeria’s electoral database and the safeguards governing access to the voter registration system.

Although INEC has acknowledged the irregularities and commenced a review of the affected records, the full number of confirmed fraudulent entries, the identities of the officers allegedly involved and any disciplinary action that may follow have not yet been publicly established in the reports reviewed.

With the 2027 general elections approaching, attention will remain on INEC’s ability to resolve the concerns, strengthen its registration safeguards and ensure that the final Register of Voters accurately reflects eligible voters across the country.