The Independent National Electoral Commission has unveiled plans to deploy artificial intelligence technology to detect and eliminate discrepancies in election result sheets ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Speaking during an electoral technology engagement in Abuja on Thursday, October 22, 2026, the commission explained that the technological enhancement is designed to strengthen data integrity across all stages of result collation. Under the new operational framework, automated algorithms will audit data inputs against physical result sheets before figures are published on public portals.
Detailing the technical framework, INEC Director of Information and Communications Technology, Paulinus Akugbe, explained that the AI system acts as a real-time verification barrier during electronic result transmission.
The technology automatically scans uploaded physical result forms (Form EC8A) and compares the handwritten figures with the numerical entries submitted by collation officers. If the system identifies mathematical contradictions or numerical mismatches between accredited voter figures and cast votes, the upload process is suspended until authorized officials reconcile the inconsistency.
Addressing civil society partners and media stakeholders, Akugbe emphasized that the primary objective of the deployment is to eliminate administrative oversight and prevent altered figures from entering official records.
“If the electronically entered figures are consistent with the scanned results, the system allows the results to be uploaded automatically to the portal,” Akugbe stated. “If there is an inconsistency, the system will flag it and prevent the upload until the discrepancy is resolved, ensuring that what appears on the portal reflects the true outcome at the polling unit”.
The commission noted that pilot testing of the AI result verification system was successfully conducted during recent off-cycle elections and localized balloting exercises to evaluate system stability and server capacity. INEC reaffirmed its commitment to maintaining transparent, verifiable, and secure election infrastructure, assuring the voting public that technological innovations will continue to align with constitutional mandates and statutory electoral guidelines.
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