Commission Identifies Portal Exploitation as Source of Irregularities
The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has attributed the presence of suspected artificial intelligence (AI)-generated photographs and other discrepancies in its preliminary voter register to the actions of its own registration officers. The commission stated that certain officials allegedly exploited their access to the registration portal to introduce questionable records into the database.
Lawrence Bayode, INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, disclosed these findings during an interview on Arise Television on Friday. His comments addressed public concerns regarding discrepancies discovered in the recently released preliminary voter register, responding directly to widespread allegations of fraud and technical failures.
Bayode explained that registration officers deployed across the country are assigned individual login credentials to access the system. Investigations by the commission revealed that some of these officers used their authorized access to introduce irregular entries, according to Bayode. This admission highlights a specific vulnerability in the digital infrastructure where personal authentication keys allowed for unauthorized data manipulation.
Criticism Over Disputed Entries and Duplicate Records
The commission faced criticism after screenshots circulated online showing suspected AI-generated photographs, duplicate entries, and names of deceased persons within the register. Some of the disputed entries reportedly originated from a polling unit in the Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State.
Bayode confirmed that the commission had identified how these irregularities were introduced into the system. However, he noted that INEC did not know the motive behind the actions taken by the officers involved. The lack of clarity regarding intent has left many questions unanswered about whether these were isolated acts of malice or part of a coordinated effort to manipulate voter demographics.
The director described the conduct as poor registration practice and acknowledged that some photographs in the register were indeed AI-generated. He stated that the commission had commenced cleaning up the voter register before making the preliminary version public, indicating an ongoing process to rectify errors that slipped through initial verification stages.
Statutory Timeline Constraints Cited for Challenges
In addressing the broader challenges faced during the registration process, INEC attributed some issues to the pressure of completing registrations within the statutory 90-day period. The commission maintained that despite these constraints and the identified irregularities, efforts were made to maintain the integrity of the database prior to its public release.
The tight deadline imposed by law created a high-pressure environment for registration officers, potentially contributing to lapses in verification protocols. While INEC insists that cleaning efforts began before the preliminary list was published, the emergence of AI-generated images and duplicate records suggests that the speed of the process may have compromised thoroughness.
As the commission continues to investigate the specific cases linked to Etsako West and other regions, the focus remains on securing the registration portal against future exploitation. The acknowledgment of poor registration practices serves as a formal admission of procedural failures, though the full extent of the irregularities may only be revealed as investigations into individual officer accounts proceed.