While electoral bodies in Nigeria and Kenya push forward with high-tech reforms, civil society is raising concerns. Technology, no matter how advanced, cannot replace transparency, accountability, and public confidence.
As some of Africa’s largest economies and democracies explore integrating Artificial Intelligence into their electoral processes, the journey is marked by a mix of hope and apprehension.
Nigeria’s Independent Electoral Commission (INEC) established a dedicated AI Division within its ICT department in May, citing the move as a strategic response to the evolving demands of electoral governance in the digital age.
While INEC and cybersecurity experts hail the move as a leap toward modernisation, civil society groups are questioning whether the foundation of the country’s electoral process is solid enough to support such a technological shift.
“Before we talk about artificial intelligence, we need to talk about human intelligence, the kind that ensures fair play, integrity, and accountability in elections,” Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) Political Commission Secretary, Comrade Echezona Asuzu, said in an interview.
He voiced concern over the timing and priorities of INEC’s announcement, pointing to the contentious 2023 general elections, many of which ended in court battles, as evidence of the deep public distrust in the electoral system.
“If the electoral umpire is compromised, perceived by the public to be unfit to discharge the onerous responsibility of delivering credible elections and solidifying and consolidating democracy, then we are in real trouble,” said Asuzu.
According to Asuzu and an analysis by the civil society nonprofit organisation Yiaga Africa, Nigeria’s elections have regressed after the gains made in 2011 and 2015.
Voter turnout in Nigeria has fluctuated from historical highs of 69.1% in 2003, 53.7% in 2011, and 43.7% in 2015 to a low of 27.1% in 2023, according to Yiaga Africa. The company cites a complex interplay of political and systemic factors as a key influence on electoral participation.
In its weekly newsletter, The Ballot, Yiaga said INEC’s landmark step to establish an Artificial Intelligence Division signals a move toward a more technologically advanced electoral system.
“But will innovation translate into transparency?” Yiaga Africa queried.
INEC Information and Voter Education Committee, National Commissioner and Chairman, Sam Olumekun, said the newly created division puts the Commission at the forefront of institutionalising AI capabilities in electoral management and is part of its ongoing reforms on electoral processes in areas that only require administrative action by the Commission.
“It will enhance decision-making through data-driven insights, risk management and voter engagement. This will strengthen electoral credibility through predictive analytics, automation and intelligent safeguards,” said Olumekun.
These sentiments were echoed by Destiny Young, a Cybersecurity and IT Infrastructure Engineer who projects that 2027 could be a landmark year for tech-powered democracy in Nigeria.
“INEC’s new AI Division is a big step towards smarter, more trustworthy elections in Nigeria. It’s an exciting development that could shape the way Nigerians vote for years to come,” said Young in a LinkedIn post.
With general elections in the next two years, Kenya is charting a similar course.
Kenya’s Independent Electoral and Boundaries Commission (IEBC) has engaged stakeholders on the implications of AI, social media, and digital platforms in election management.
In February, at a conference organised by the Electoral Law and Governance Institute for Africa (ELGIA), IEBC CEO Marjan Hussein Marjan underscored the need to recognise and balance the opportunities and risks of using AI in elections.
“Africa must develop new capabilities, new tools and new regulatory frameworks to ensure that AI works for it, for its partners, for its interests, and for its values, and not against it,” said Marjan.
ELGIA Executive Director, Felix Odhiambo, while hailing the African Union’s recent decision to develop guidance on AI for development, urged the creation of strong legal and ethical frameworks for its use in electoral systems.
“AI offers incredible possibilities, but it must be governed responsibly. Without proper regulation, it can easily become a tool for manipulation instead of transparency,” said Odhiambo.
In April, during the annual conference of the Information Systems Audit and Control Association (ISACA) Kenya Chapter, Marjan disclosed that the Commission deployed AI in the 2022 General Election by using a WhatsApp Bot to disseminate electoral information and analyse the Register of Voters (RoV) to check for deduplications.
It also partnered with the International Foundation for Election Systems (IFES) to develop a digital and social media monitoring tool for hate speech.
Credit: By Conrad Onyango, Bird Story Agency
