2027: INEC Charges Editors On Rigorous Fact-Checking Against Deepfakes

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has charged editors across the country to strengthen fact-checking and digital verification mechanisms to combat artificial intelligence-driven deepfakes and disinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The commission warned that synthetic disinformation could undermine public trust in the electoral process and pose a serious threat to democratic stability.

In a statement signed by the Chief Press Secretary/Special Adviser on Media to the INEC chairman, Adedayo Oketola, the commission said its chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, represented by the Resident Electoral Commissioner for Enugu State, Dr. Chukwuemeka Chukwu, gave the charge on Thursday at the 22nd All Nigeria Editors Conference (ANEC) 2026 in Enugu.

Amupitan, in an address titled, “The Ballot, the Media and the Task of Keeping Democracy Alive,” said generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning and deepfake technology had made it easier for malicious actors to manufacture convincing falsehoods and circulate them widely.

He said political actors could now produce fabricated videos of electoral officials, cloned audio recordings and manipulated result sheets capable of misleading voters and creating tension after elections.

“We have moved far beyond simple political bias, hyperbole, or unverified rumours into an era of synthetically manufactured reality.

“Generative artificial intelligence, voice cloning, deepfake video synthesis, and automated bot networks have democratised mass deception.

“Malicious operatives no longer need a printing press or broadcast license to deceive millions. With modest computing power, they can produce a photorealistic video of an electoral official purportedly declaring false results in a dark room; a cloned audio file of an INEC Resident Electoral Commissioner instructing staff to manipulate voting devices on election eve;

“Manipulated result sheets engineered to mimic official security features, flooded onto social media minutes after polling closes to create an illusion of fraud before collation even begins,” he said.

The INEC chairman said the primary danger of synthetic disinformation was not merely that it could trick citizens into believing a specific falsehood, but that it could cause the systemic destruction of public trust.

“When deepfakes render lies believable, real truth is greeted with skepticism. Cynicism replaces civic engagement, leading voters to ask: Why stand in line for hours if the outcome is already manipulated on a screen?
“That mental retreat is where democracy begins to decay,” he said.

Amupitan said disinformation could attack the electorate’s cognitive sovereignty by turning elections from a peaceful contest of ideas into a battleground of manipulated emotions, ethnic tension and pre-packaged outrage.

He said an election management body’s administrative success on the ground could be instantly undermined on a smartphone screen by a well-timed and algorithmically boosted deepfake.

The INEC chairman therefore urged editors to institutionalise specialised fact-checking desks, deploy forensic image-analysis software and strictly adhere to protocols requiring that official election results be verified through INEC before publication.

He also cautioned media organisations against publishing or amplifying privately collated election results ahead of the 2027 general elections.

He warned that such reports could create conflicting narratives and undermine confidence in officially declared results.

“Let’s resist premature result declarations. Under the Electoral Act, statutory authority to declare election results rests exclusively with INEC.

“Amplifying unverified, privately collated figures published by political actors on social media creates conflicting public narratives that undermine official outcomes.

“We should use our platforms to educate citizens on spotting synthetic content, fake letterheads, and algorithmically generated rage-bait,” he said.

Amupitan said the pressure on modern newsrooms to be the first to publish should not override the obligation to verify information during elections.

“The pressure on modern newsrooms to be first is immense. But in national elections, it is vastly more important to be right than to be first.

“Rushing to publish unverified, sensational claims whether a fake result sheet on social media, a doctored video, or an unconfirmed statement grants institutional legitimacy to deliberate deception, causing damage to public peace that is almost impossible to reverse,” he said.

He appealed to the Nigerian Guild of Editors to view media gatekeeping as a critical component of national security and democratic defence.

“To effectively combat AI-driven disinformation before, during, and after elections, we must build a collaborative firewall,” he said.

Responding to the threat environment, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had established a dedicated Artificial Intelligence Division within its ICT Department.

He said the commission had also commenced deploying automated AI auditing tools within the Results Management process to detect discrepancies before final verification.

He emphasised that all automated checks remained strictly governed by a five-pillar AI Governance Framework and subject to mandatory human auditing.

On the welfare of journalists, the INEC chairman said media welfare was directly connected to the integrity of journalism and, by extension, democratic governance.

He told media owners and managers that it would be difficult to expect journalists facing severe financial insecurity, unpaid salaries and inadequate welfare to consistently withstand political inducement and other pressures.

“A poorly compensated journalist is vulnerable; a financially neglected newsroom is fertile ground for compromise,” he said.

According to him, journalists who receive decent remuneration and structured welfare are better positioned to resist financial inducement, interrogate false narratives and report elections objectively.

Amupitan said INEC had applied a similar principle to its own workforce by introducing measures aimed at improving the welfare of election officials.

He disclosed that the commission established the Consolidated Election Management Body Salary Structure (CEMBSS), separating its workforce from the regular Civil Service salary structure with effect from January 1, 2026.
Reinforcing the imperative for media vigilance during his opening address, President of the Nigerian Guild of Editors, Mr Eze Anaba, said the media had a responsibility to protect democracy by holding power accountable and providing space for diverse voices.

“We have a responsibility to ensure that our democracy survives. The media must hold power accountable and provide the space for diverse voices to be heard.

“The political actors alone are not in charge of our democracy, the judiciary and the media have a role to play to strengthen our democracy,” Anaba said.

On preparations for the 2027 elections, Amupitan said the commission had commenced a six-zone Interactive Meetings and Readiness Assessment tour in Lagos on September 7, aimed at assessing preparations across the country.

He said the media had a critical role to play in the process because elections were no longer contested only at polling units but also in the information space.

The Obi of Onitsha, Igwe Nnaemeka Alfred Achebe, urged INEC to form a joint Rapid Response Desk involving newsrooms to dispel election misinformation.

The traditional ruler also challenged newsroom editors to take an active role in combating growing voter apathy by educating the public on the importance of participating in the upcoming general election cycle.

Also speaking, the Archbishop Emeritus of Abuja, John Cardinal Onaiyekan, said a free press was necessary for a genuine democracy.

According to him, Nigeria’s situation was not so bad, citing the diversity of newspapers, radio and television stations and the emergence of social media.

“We see this in the diversity of printed newspapers every day, the wide range of radio and television stations, and then most recently the social media that has made an irruption onto the media space in a way that we are still to see how far it is going.

“The latest arrival, of course, is artificial intelligence, AI. It is already working wonders in the communication space, though not without its dangers if it is allowed to spin out of human control,” Onaiyekan said.