The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has said it will not rely on artificial intelligence-generated analysis or screenshots in its ongoing investigation into alleged digital impersonation linked to its chairman.
INEC’s ICT Director, Lawrence Bayode, disclosed this on Monday during an interview on Channels Television while reacting to resurfaced social media posts attributed to an account allegedly linked to INEC Chairman, Joash Amupitan.
Bayode said the commission is already working with security agencies and external forensic experts to verify the authenticity of the accounts and content under investigation.
According to him, INEC will only depend on verified and credible evidence in reaching conclusions.
“We are taking this further because even though we have referred this to security agencies, we rely on evidence. We are also going to be engaging a third party, for instance, forensic experts, to look into this,” he said.
He also dismissed reliance on screenshots or AI-generated findings, insisting they are not sufficient for official conclusions.
“I will not base my judgments on screenshots. I will not allow that to guide my conclusion,” Bayode stated.
The ICT director added that the commission is conducting internal technical reviews as part of preparations for the 2027 general elections, warning that digital impersonation and misinformation are growing threats.
“What we are seeing is digital impersonation,” he said.
Bayode also cautioned against depending on artificial intelligence tools for definitive conclusions, referencing the AI tool GROK, which he said can produce inaccurate outputs.
“You know, GROK honestly can hallucinate just like any modern artificial intelligence system,” he said.
INEC maintained that the chairman does not operate a personal X account and has denied allegations linking him to partisan political posts, saying it is working with security agencies to identify those behind the impersonation claims.
