The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has warned Nigerians against fake audio and video recordings that could falsely announce the postponement of the 2027 general elections.

INEC Chairman, Professor Joash Amupitan, gave the warning in Abuja on Monday at the opening of the National Summit on Electoral Information Integrity, themed Beyond the Ballot: AI, FIMI, and the Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Elections.

Amupitan said the period preceding elections was particularly vulnerable to digital misinformation, warning that fabricated announcements could spread rapidly and create confusion among voters.

He cited the 2023 Slovak parliamentary election, where an AI-generated audio recording allegedly involving a political party leader discussing vote buying circulated two days before voting.

The INEC chairman said the incident demonstrated how digitally manipulated content could influence public perception, particularly when authorities and fact-checkers had limited time to verify and correct false information.

He disclosed that the commission was developing internal mechanisms to identify and debunk viral misinformation within minutes of its emergence.

Amupitan also identified real-time response, technological safeguards and voter education as key measures to protect the credibility of the 2027 electoral process.

He said INEC was strengthening its digital infrastructure and collaborating with social media platforms, including TikTok, Facebook, Instagram, WhatsApp, YouTube, Telegram and X, to tackle election-related misinformation.

The chairman urged Nigerians to rely on verified INEC communication channels and avoid sharing unconfirmed announcements as preparations for the 2027 general elections gather momentum.