AI faces on the voters' register? INEC probes suspected fake photos
Days after publishing the preliminary register online, INEC says “questionable registration records” were flagged and it is examining “possible technical or procedural lapses”. It stresses the online copy is not the final register, which is due on 15 December.
What happened: INEC published the preliminary register online on 26 October. Social media users then shared entries with photos that appear AI-generated. Daily Trust reports some came from a polling unit in Etsako West LGA, Edo State; INEC's statement does not name a location.
INEC responds: Mohammed Kudu Haruna, chairman of INEC's Information and Voter Education Committee, said on 27 October that “a number of questionable registration records were identified and flagged for further examination,” and that the commission is examining “possible technical or procedural lapses.”
Not final: “The preliminary register is not the final certified register,” INEC says. The online copy is the same register displayed at registration areas from 9 to 15 October and “does not reflect all ongoing data-cleanup activities.”
Still unanswered: INEC has not said how many records are affected, where the photos came from, or whether anyone is responsible. It promises that “verified irregularities will be addressed through the applicable procedures.”
What to do: check your own entry on INEC's website and report any error to your INEC local government office. The final register is due to be certified on 15 December 2026, a month before the 16 January presidential election.
Sources
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