The Obidient Movement has rejected the plan by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to deploy Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the management and collation of results for the 2027 general elections.
The movement said the proposed use of AI could further weaken confidence in the electoral process if the technology is introduced without clear rules, safeguards and mechanisms that allow citizens to independently verify election results.
In a statement signed by its Media and Communications Directorate, Onyeka Dike ok Wednesday, the group described the proposed deployment as “reckless and unacceptable”.
The movement argued that INEC should first address unresolved concerns surrounding the 2023 general elections before introducing another layer of technology into the results process.
“INEC cannot tell Nigerians that it intends to introduce AI into one of the most sensitive stages of the electoral process while simultaneously admitting that the rules governing its use are still being developed,” the statement said.
The reaction followed disclosures by INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, that the commission had begun deploying AI tools as part of preparations for the 2027 elections.
Amupitan had said INEC was using AI to assist in identifying discrepancies and administrative errors in election results.
The commission has also said it is concerned about the growing use of AI to produce fake result sheets, cloned voices, manipulated videos and other forms of election-related disinformation.
INEC has maintained that the technology is intended to support, rather than replace, human decision-making in the electoral process.
The commission has also disclosed that automated checks within its results management process are subject to human auditing and an AI governance framework.
But the Obidient Movement said the priority should be to restore public confidence in the system.
The group said Nigerians need an electoral process where results can be followed from the polling unit through every stage of collation until the final declaration.
It demanded a transparent, auditable and verifiable system that would allow political parties, election observers, journalists and ordinary citizens to independently check the figures declared at each stage.
The movement also questioned INEC’s recent position on the publication of election results by political parties, observers and the media.
The commission has warned media organisations against publishing or amplifying privately collated figures ahead of official declarations.
Amupitan said INEC has the statutory responsibility to declare election results and urged news organisations to verify election-related information before publication.
The Obidient Movement said it recognised INEC’s legal authority to declare election results but argued that the commission’s warning must be considered alongside its proposed use of AI and the concerns surrounding the transparency of the results process.
According to the movement, Nigerians should not be expected to simply trust a system that does not provide enough opportunity for independent verification.
The group also revisited the controversies surrounding the electronic transmission and publication of results on the INEC Result Viewing Portal, IReV, during the 2023 elections.
It argued that the major challenge was not the availability of technology but how the existing electoral technology and procedures were implemented.
The movement therefore called on INEC to abandon plans to use AI for the collation of election results unless the commission can provide adequate safeguards and a transparent framework that can be independently scrutinised.
It also demanded the publication of a comprehensive framework covering every technology that will be deployed for the 2027 elections.
The group wants INEC to explain how each system will work, who will have access to it, how errors will be detected and corrected, and what safeguards will prevent manipulation.
It further demanded that results remain traceable to the polling unit and be available for verification throughout the collation process.
The movement called for the publication of Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D and EC8E on IReV as part of what it described as the five commitments recommended by Mundx Analytics.
The call comes amid increased attention to the availability and verification of polling-unit result sheets on IReV.
Mundx Analytics says its system reads and checks EC8A forms already published by INEC rather than originating election figures of its own.
The Obidient Movement said publishing the relevant result sheets would make it easier for Nigerians and other stakeholders to independently follow the movement of results from polling units through the different levels of collation.
The group also raised allegations concerning the whereabouts and political engagements of the INEC chairman.
It referred to rumours that Amupitan had been in France with President Bola Tinubu, Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, and other political actors to discuss strategies for the 2027 election.
However, the movement did not provide evidence to establish the allegation.
The group said INEC must ensure that technology does not become a barrier between voters and the results of their votes.
It urged Amupitan to reconsider the direction of the commission and take steps that would guarantee greater transparency before the election.
The movement said the outcome of the 2027 election must be determined by voters rather than technology, political influence or electoral officials.
“In 2027, Nigerians will not surrender their votes to technology, bureaucracy or manipulation. Every vote must count, every result must be verifiable, and the true choice of the Nigerian people must prevail,” the statement said.