2027 polls: INEC deploys AI to block mismatched results on IReV

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) says it will not upload polling unit results with discrepancies to the INEC Result Viewing Portal (IReV) during future elections.

The commission is deploying Artificial Intelligence (AI) to conduct automated consistency checks before any data transmission is approved.

Speaking on the development at the AI4Election Hackathon launch in Abuja, INEC’s Director of ICT, Dr. Lawrence Bayode, stated that the system will automatically verify figures entered on the Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) against the scanned EC8 result sheets.

“It will help to improve accuracy, reduce human error and strengthen transparency,” Bayode said.

According to him, the electoral commission is exploring the practical application of Artificial Intelligence to improve voter information services and electoral data management. He assured that the technological integration will feature strict human supervision to protect the electoral process.

Meanwhile, the electoral body has officially established an Artificial Intelligence division within its ICT department, to facilitate this initiative.

Also speaking at the event, the Chief Executive of Rise Networks, Dr. Toyosi Akerele-Ogunisi, announced that the hackathon is a joint partnership involving INEC, Meta, Google, and Microsoft ahead of the 2027 polls.

She urged innovators, researchers, and civil society organisations to develop reliable AI projects to combat emerging threats such as synthetic media, misinformation, and cybersecurity risks.