How AI could disrupt Nigeria’s 2027 election
Deepfake videos, cloned voices, and AI-generated result sheets. As Nigeria heads toward the 2027 election, experts say AI could transform political campaigning, and make it harder than ever to tell what’s real.
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A few days before the 2023 election, an audio recording of an alleged conversation between Atiku Abubakar, former vice president of Nigeria; Aminu Tambuwal, former governor of Sokoto State; and Ifeanyi Okowa, former governor of Delta State, allegedly planning to rig the election, circulated online. The audio sent shock waves among Nigerians on social media, with many calling on the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) to foil the conspirators’ plans.<br />
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Fact-checkers at TheCable later found the audio to be a deepfake. But by then, the clip had travelled widely online and offline, tainting political conversations and showing how easily synthetic media could influence politics during an election season.<br />
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As another presidential election approaches in January 2027, the potential risks of artificial intelligence (AI) to the election are more extensive than in the 2023 election. Nigeria’s 2023 election was characterised by widespread misinformation, including AI-generated media used to campaign for preferred candidates. <br />
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For example, in November 2022, three months before the election, a doctored video of Hollywood stars holding a placard that read ‘Yes, it makes sense to vote for Peter Obi in 2023’ went viral on social media. Similarly, videos of Elon Musk and Donald Trump endorsing Peter Obi also circulated, gathering thousands of views and likes, before they were eventually declared fake. <br />
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Since then, AI adoption in Nigeria has grown rapidly. A recent survey by Google and Ipsos revealed that 88% of Nigerian adults say they have interacted with an AI chatbot, and 39% admitted to using AI frequently in their work or life.<br />
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The ease of access to AI tools has contributed significantly to its growing adoption. While many AI tools, like ChatGPT, Gemini, and Claude, have paid subscription tiers, they remain largely free and within reach of the average Nigerian, 142 million of whom have access to the Internet and 85% of whom have access to a smartphone.<br />
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This rapid adoptio...
