Obidient Movement Opposes INEC’s AI Plans for 2027 Election Results

The Obidient Movement has voiced strong opposition to the Independent National Electoral Commission’s (INEC) plan to use Artificial Intelligence (AI) in counting votes for the 2027 general elections. The group expressed its concerns in a statement released on Wednesday.

According to the Obidient Movement, introducing AI into such a critical part of the election process is unacceptable, especially since the rules for using this technology are still being developed. They labeled the plan as “reckless and unacceptable,” arguing that Nigerians should not have to endure another untested method for counting votes.

The movement emphasized that INEC should prioritize rebuilding trust in the electoral system, especially after the issues that arose during the 2023 elections. They called for a results process that is transparent, auditable, and verifiable, ensuring that every vote can be traced from the polling station to the final results.

Additionally, the Obidient Movement criticized a warning from the INEC Chairman to the public and media against announcing results not officially released by the Commission. While acknowledging INEC’s right to declare results, the group raised concerns about the timing of the warning in light of the proposed AI use and the lack of a clear governance framework.

There were also unverified claims about the INEC Chairman meeting with political figures in France to strategize for the upcoming elections. The group did not provide evidence for this allegation.

The Obidient Movement reiterated that the problems faced during the last elections were not due to a lack of technology but rather failures within the electoral process itself. They demanded that INEC abandon its AI plans and publish a clear, independently verifiable framework for any technology used in future elections.

In their statement, the group insisted that every vote must count and that the true choice of the Nigerian people should prevail in 2027.