RismadarVoice Reporters
October 7, 2026
The Obidient Movement has rejected the Independent National Electoral Commission’s planned use of Artificial Intelligence in verifying election results ahead of the 2027 general elections, demanding greater transparency and independent scrutiny of the technology.
In a statement signed by Onyeka Dike on behalf of its Media and Communications Directorate, the movement argued that INEC should address outstanding concerns over electoral transparency before expanding the use of technology in the results management process.
The group described the proposed deployment as unacceptable while the commission’s AI governance framework is still being finalised.
INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, has said the commission is introducing AI-assisted tools to identify discrepancies and administrative errors in election result records and strengthen cybersecurity.
INEC has established a dedicated AI division within its ICT Department and integrated automated auditing tools into its results verification process.
The commission maintains that AI will not independently determine election outcomes, saying its use will remain subject to mandatory human oversight and a governance framework covering transparency, accountability, data protection, cybersecurity and public trust.
The Obidient Movement, however, said Nigerians should be provided with detailed information on how the technology will operate, who will have access to it, how errors will be identified and corrected, and what safeguards will prevent manipulation.
It also demanded that election results remain traceable from polling units through every stage of collation, allowing political parties, observers, journalists and citizens to independently verify the figures.
The movement called for Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D and EC8E to be made available through the INEC Result Viewing Portal as part of measures to strengthen transparency.
It argued that the controversy surrounding the 2023 elections showed that introducing technology alone would not resolve concerns about electoral credibility without transparent implementation and accountability.
The group also criticised INEC’s warning to media organisations against declaring or amplifying electiond election results. It has maintained that statutory authority to declare election results rests with INEC and has urged media organisations to establish fact-checking desks, use digital verification tools and verify election-related information before publication.
The Obidient Movement acknowledged INEC’s legal authority to declare official results but argued that this should not prevent independent verification of figures recorded during the electoral process.
It therefore urged the commission to publish a comprehensive framework covering the technologies it intends to deploy in 2027 and provide safeguards allowing independent scrutiny of AI-assisted processes.
The movement also referenced unverified claims concerning the INEC chairman’s alleged political engagements abroad. It did not provide evidence establishing those allegations, and they have not been independently confirmed.
The group said its central demand remained an electoral process in which every result could be traced and independently verified from the polling unit to the final declaration.
INEC, meanwhile, says its AI deployment is intended to support election officials in detecting anomalies and improving the integrity of the results verification process, rather than replacing human decision-making.
