INEC Blames Registration Officers for Irregularities in Voter Register

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has attributed the appearance of suspected artificial intelligence-generated photographs and other questionable entries in its preliminary Register of Voters to irregularities allegedly introduced by some registration officers with access to its registration system. The commission’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this on Friday during an appearance on Arise Television, saying investigations revealed that some registration officers across the country had used their login credentials to introduce irregular records into the database. Bayode explained that INEC detected the anomalies through its Automated Biometric Identification System, which was deployed to examine the registration records. He said some of the photographs were AI-generated, while others resulted from poor registration procedures, adding that the commission had identified the questionable entries and established how some of the irregularities occurred. However, he said he could not explain the reasons behind the actions of the officers involved. Bayode added that the commission had been working to clean up the database even before releasing the preliminary register, noting that the exercise was being carried out within the statutory 90-day period.

The disclosure follows public concerns over suspicious photographs and other alleged irregularities after INEC uploaded its preliminary voter register to its website on October 26. Images circulated on social media reportedly showed suspected AI-generated photographs attached to voter records in parts of Edo State, while other complaints involved alleged duplicate entries and registered voters who said their details were missing from the online database. INEC had earlier explained that the online version was the same preliminary register displayed physically at Registration Areas nationwide from October 9 to 15 for the Display, Claims and Objections exercise. In a statement issued on October 27, the commission said questionable records had been identified and flagged during the physical display, adding that it had begun a review and corrective process. It stressed that the published register was not the final certified version and did not reflect all ongoing data-cleanup activities. INEC is expected to complete its verification, adjudication and correction processes before certifying the final Register of Voters on December 15, 2026.

#UTVAfrica#