The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has confirmed that AI-generated photographs have been incorporated into its preliminary voters' register. This revelation was made by Dr. Lawrence Bayode, the Director of Information and Communication Technology at INEC, during an interview on Arise Television on Friday.

Dr. Bayode explained that the irregularities stemmed from actions taken by some registration officers who were granted access to the voter registration system. "We have registration officers on the field. And these registration officers, they have login details to log into the system," he stated, highlighting that not all officers were involved in the misconduct.

The commission's investigation into the database revealed that some photographs included in the register were generated using artificial intelligence, while others resulted from poor registration practices. "Some of these pictures are AI-generated. Some of them not AI-generated, but very bad registration," Dr. Bayode elaborated, noting that these discrepancies occurred due to the access granted to certain officers.

INEC's use of the Automated Biometric Identification System (ABIS) played a crucial role in identifying these questionable entries. Dr. Bayode mentioned that the commission had already pinpointed the affected records and understood the methods used to introduce these irregularities, although he could not ascertain the motives behind the officers' actions. "When the ABIS was run on the system, we saw these people. We know what they did. We know how they did it. But honestly, I don't know why," he remarked.

The emergence of these irregularities has drawn significant public scrutiny, especially following the upload of the preliminary voter register to INEC's website on October 26. Concerns were raised on social media regarding suspicious images linked to voter records, particularly in Edo State, alongside reports of duplicate entries and missing voter details.

INEC clarified that the online version of the preliminary register mirrored the physical register presented during the Display, Claims and Objections exercise held nationwide from October 9 to 15. In a statement released on October 27, the commission acknowledged that questionable records had been flagged during the physical display, which prompted further examination and corrective measures.

It is important to note that the online register is not the final certified version, and it does not encompass all the data-cleanup efforts currently underway. INEC is under pressure to complete the verification and correction processes before the final register is certified on December 15, 2026. The commission has commenced work to rectify the identified irregularities in the voter register, aiming to ensure a more accurate and reliable electoral process.