INEC Faces Backlash over AI-Generated Photos and Deceased Voters in Register
The Independent National Electoral Commission comes under heavy public criticism following the discovery of widespread irregularities, including computer-generated facial images and names of deceased individuals, in its preliminary voter register released on its official portal.
The outrage erupted early this week after civil society groups, political analysts, and citizens conducting verification exercises flagged suspicious entries across several polling centers. Key discrepancies identified in the publication include synthetic photos appearing in locations such as Etsako West Local Government Area of Edo State, alongside duplicate entries sharing identical National Identification Numbers but carrying distinct Voter Identification Numbers.
Public commentators and prominent civic leaders, including Professor Pat Utomi, have voiced deep concern over the integrity of the database. Critics argue that the inclusion of artificial intelligence-generated profile pictures and unpurged names of dead citizens undermines public confidence in the electoral system and creates vulnerabilities for illegal vote manipulation during future polls.
The irregularities occurred through suspected gaps in automated screening mechanisms and biometric verification protocols during database consolidation, allowing fraudulent and unverified data to bypass standard oversight checks prior to public display.
Stakeholders and election monitoring organizations are now demanding an immediate independent audit of the national voter roll, urging the electoral umpire to explain how synthetic records entered the repository and to purge all invalid details immediately to restore credibility to the process.
