‘Every Vote Must Count’: Obidient Movement Rejects INEC’s AI Plan

The Obidient Movement has rejected the proposed use of artificial intelligence in election results collation, demanding that the Independent National Electoral Commission publish transparent safeguards for technologies intended for the 2027 general elections.

In a statement dated October 7, 2026, signed by its Media and Communications Directorate, the movement said INEC’s acknowledgement that its AI governance policy was still being finalised raised concerns about accountability and public confidence.

It called for a results process that political parties, observers, journalists and citizens could independently verify from polling units through to final declarations.

Movement demands withdrawal of AI collation plan

The movement described the introduction of technology into sensitive electoral processes without a completed governance framework as unacceptable.

“Nigerians are not guinea pigs for another untested electoral experiment. We reject the use of AI in results collation and demand that INEC immediately abandon the plan,” it said.

It argued that the commission should prioritise restoring public trust following the controversies surrounding the 2023 elections.

The movement alleged that technology could become an excuse for irregularities and insisted that every declared figure must remain traceable to the original polling-unit record.

“Every vote must count, every result must be verifiable, and the true choice of the Nigerian people must prevail. The mandate belongs to the people,” the statement added.

INEC describes AI role as verification under human oversight

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, had announced on October 6 that the commission established an Artificial Intelligence Division within its Information and Communications Technology Department.

He described the planned tools as supporting automated auditing and results verification under a five-pillar governance framework, with mandatory human oversight. He also said the commission’s AI governance policy was being finalised.

That description differs from the movement’s characterisation of AI as a tool for results collation. The announcement reviewed did not state that AI would independently declare winners or replace authorised election officials.

The disagreement centres on the scope of the technology’s role and the safeguards governing its use.

Group seeks publication of result forms on IReV

The movement urged INEC to publish Forms EC8A, EC8B, EC8C, EC8D and EC8E on the INEC Result Viewing portal, saying access to the documents would strengthen public scrutiny of the results process.

It also called on the commission to adopt five commitments it attributed to Mundus Analytics, including the publication of those forms.

Its demands were:

1. Abandon plans to use AI in election results collation.
2. Publish a clear and independently auditable framework for every electoral technology.
3. Ensure results remain traceable to polling units and verifiable by stakeholders.
4. Adopt the proposed transparency commitments, including publication of the listed result forms on IReV.
5. Ensure electoral outcomes reflect voters’ choices.

Concerns over unofficial result declarations

The movement also questioned Amupitan’s warning against announcing or declaring results outside INEC’s official process.

While acknowledging the commission’s statutory authority to declare official results, it said stakeholders must be able to scrutinise and verify the figures.

The statement further alleged political collusion and referred to rumours of a meeting in France involving the INEC chairman and political figures. It supplied no supporting evidence for that allegation.

Debate comes amid preparations for 2027 polls

The dispute comes as preparations advance for an election involving a reported national register of more than 103 million voters. The Bureau Journal has published the reported voter-registration breakdown for all 36 states and the FCT.

Alongside the technology debate, attention remains on participation, with Admiral Usman Jibrin among those urging Nigerians to take Permanent Voter Card collection seriously.

INEC has also announced the restoration of four State Assembly constituencies in Kogi and Delta, while disputes over party recognition have included the NDC registration case considered by the Court of Appeal.

The Obidient Movement said transparency and accountability must guide the commission’s preparations. Follow The Bureau Journal’s 2027 Elections coverage for further developments.

PRESS STATEMENT

INEC’S DESPERATION TO INTRODUCE AI IN RESULTS COLLATION: NIGERIANS WILL NOT ACCEPT ANOTHER MANUFACTURED ELECTION

— Obidient Movement HQ – Official (@ObidientUpdate) October 7, 2026