By Adeola Badru

IBADAN — Experts have called for the strategic deployment of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to ensure free, fair, and credible elections in Nigeria’s 2027 general polls, while cautioning against its misuse to spread hyper-realistic misinformation.

The call was made during a panel discussion at the University of Ibadan titled “AI and the 2027 General Elections in Nigeria: The Realities, The Fakes and The Absurd”, organised by the UI Senior Staff Club in collaboration with Diamond FM and UITV.

Information Technology expert Folajimi Fakoya highlighted AI’s potential to reform electoral processes, particularly voter registration, and to educate citizens using chatbots capable of responding to millions of queries simultaneously. “No human can match that scale,” he said, adding that AI could also generate content in locally relevant languages to promote inclusivity and boost voter turnout.

However, Fakoya warned that AI is a double-edged tool capable of producing “digitally true but physically false” content—hyper-realistic manipulations that can deceive voters and suppress participation. He cited examples such as fabricated videos of violence at polling units or manipulated images of candidates or religious leaders, designed to incite fear or distrust.

“To counter these risks, legislation should compel social media platforms to visibly badge AI-generated content, indicating the level of manipulation,” Fakoya advised. He also advocated rapid fact-checking, digital literacy campaigns, and transparency measures to mitigate potential harm.

Professor Adenike Osofisan of the University of Ibadan stressed that election rigging often begins at voter registration and noted that practices like vote-buying cannot be directly prevented by AI alone.

Professor Adelaja Odukoya, Dean of Social Sciences at the University of Lagos, highlighted that the misuse of AI is a global issue but poses heightened risks in Nigeria due to institutional weaknesses. He warned that AI’s impact will ultimately be shaped by existing political power struggles.

The panel concluded that while AI offers transformative tools to strengthen electoral integrity, robust safeguards are essential to prevent manipulation and maintain public trust in the electoral process.