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The Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Prof. Joash Ojo Amupitan, says he has handed everything over to God as he prepares to conduct the 2027 general election.
Amupitan spoke on Wednesday at the Artificial Intelligence and Democracy Forum 2026 in Abuja, organised by Yiaga Africa, with the theme, “Safeguarding the 2027 General Election in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.”
The INEC chairman said his faith in God remained his source of strength amid the enormous responsibilities and challenges associated with conducting the polls.
Quoting Matthew 11:28, he said the biblical invitation to those who labour and are heavy laden had become his anchor.
“Sometimes people say, ‘You are not bothered.’ I said, I’ve handed over everything to God,” he stated.
On the role of artificial intelligence (AI) in the electoral process, Amupitan assured Nigerians that algorithms would not determine the outcome of the 2027 election.
“No, algorithms will not and must never decide the 2027 votes. Algorithms will not decide the vote because the choice of who leads Nigeria belongs exclusively to the Nigerian people,” he said.
He explained that although AI would influence political communication, electoral logistics and the information available to voters, the technology must strengthen democracy rather than undermine it.
“Our task, therefore, at this forum and within the Commission is to ensure that AI remains a servant of democracy, not its master,” he added.
Amupitan identified difficult terrain, insecurity and poor network coverage in some communities as major logistical challenges confronting the commission ahead of the elections.
He disclosed that INEC had completed 10 of the 14 major activities on its election timetable despite the strict deadlines prescribed by the Electoral Act 2026.
According to him, the commission has also procured and begun receiving additional Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) devices to strengthen its technological capacity.
He further revealed that INEC had digitised its candidate nomination process through the INEC Candidate Nomination Portal, which had processed more than 15,000 nominations across 22 political parties.
The commission, he said, had also introduced online voter registration and was implementing a decentralised, multi-phase Permanent Voter Card collection exercise nationwide.
On electoral logistics, Amupitan said AI-powered predictive modelling and geospatial analysis could help improve the deployment of election materials and personnel.
He explained that such systems could analyse traffic patterns, weather forecasts, road conditions and security incidents to identify suitable routes for transporting electoral materials to polling units.
The technology, he added, could provide early warnings of weather-related disruptions and help INEC anticipate logistical problems before election day.
On safeguarding electoral integrity, the chairman said biometric voter accreditation and electronic transmission of polling-unit results had helped address vulnerabilities associated with manual accreditation and arbitrary manipulation of results.
He noted that AI could also support the auditing of uploaded polling-unit result sheets by identifying mathematical inconsistencies, unusual entry patterns and discrepancies in image quality.
However, Amupitan emphasised that human collation remained the statutory standard for declaring election results, with AI serving only as a supplementary tool for detecting anomalies.
He pledged that INEC would continue collaborating with civil society organisations, technology companies, regulatory bodies and security agencies to maximise the benefits of AI while mitigating threats to the electoral process.
The chairman maintained that technological innovation must ultimately reinforce democratic institutions and protect the right of Nigerians to freely choose their leaders.
