Atiku demands prosecution of INEC officials over AI images in voter register

Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has asked the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to identify and prosecute its officials who allegedly inserted artificial intelligence-generated photographs and other questionable entries into the preliminary voter register.

Atiku, who is the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), made the demand in a statement on Friday through the Director of Strategic Communication of his campaign council, Phrank Shaibu.

He warned that the ADC would go to court to force INEC to release the names if the commission refused.

The demand follows INEC's admission that some registration officers abused their access to the voter database. The commission's Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, said on Arise Television on Friday that its biometric system helped uncover the questionable records and traced some irregularities to officers with database access.

Bayode said some photographs were AI-generated, while others came from poor registration procedures. He reportedly said INEC knew how the irregularities happened but could not establish why the officers acted as they did.

What Atiku wants

Atiku described INEC's explanation as an attempt to dodge responsibility. He said the commission must disclose what it found and explain why those implicated have not been suspended or prosecuted.

He called for an independent forensic audit of the register, saying allegations that more than 20 million AI-generated images may be involved require outside scrutiny. He asked that all voter records, image files, access logs and audit trails be preserved for examination by experts, political parties, civil society groups and international observers.

"INEC must not quietly 'clean up' the register and bury the evidence," the statement said.

Atiku also renewed his call for INEC to publish the identities of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials and explain the security arrangements around their work. He argued that opposition parties should get the same information as the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC).

He accused President Bola Tinubu's administration of allowing INEC to operate without enough scrutiny, and urged opposition leaders and the international community to demand a full investigation.

What happens next

INEC has said the online register is the same preliminary document displayed at Registration Areas nationwide from October 9 to 15. The commission plans to certify the final register on December 15, 2026, and says it is reviewing disputed entries before then.

The controversy started after suspicious photographs were spotted in voter records in Edo State, including Etsako West Local Government Area, following the upload of the preliminary register on October 26.

It has increased pressure on INEC ahead of the 2027 general elections, with opposition parties asking for more openness on voter registration, staff postings and the procurement of election materials.