ABUJA — The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has issued a seven-day ultimatum to President Bola Tinubu, urging him to direct the Attorney-General of the Federation and the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to investigate alleged AI-generated photos and potential data manipulation on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) voter portal.
In an open letter dated Saturday, October 31, 2026, and officially released on Sunday, November 1, 2026, SERAP warned that failing to address these reported irregularities transparently risks undermining public trust in Nigeria’s electoral system ahead of the 2027 general elections.
The demand follows public outcry and complaints from civil society observers who identified suspicious, synthetic, and seemingly AI-generated profile pictures listed during the nationwide display of the preliminary voter register from October 9 to 15, 2026. Signed by SERAP Deputy Director Kolawole Oluwadare, the letter emphasized that any unlawful alteration of the national voter database constitutes a severe breach of Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution and international human rights law protecting personal data and political participation.
SERAP warned that if the presidency fails to take action within seven days, the organization will initiate legal proceedings against the Federal Government.
The rights group argued that an internal review by INEC cannot substitute for an independent, statutory investigation by the NDPC to establish whether personal data breaches occurred under Section 65 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
SERAP insisted that the government must publish the findings of an independent inquiry, enforce stronger cybersecurity safeguards, and prosecute any technical staff, registration officers, contractors, or external bad actors found responsible for corrupting the registry.
The ultimatum comes shortly after INEC issued a statement on October 27 acknowledging public concerns regarding AI-generated photographs in the online preliminary register. The commission explained that the flagged records were undergoing comprehensive data-cleanup exercises ahead of the planned certification of the final voter register on December 15, 2026, promising that technical or procedural lapses by registration officers using official credentials will be thoroughly rectified.
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