The Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP) has called on President Bola Tinubu to order an independent investigation into suspected AI-generated photographs and alleged changes to personal information in the preliminary voter register released by the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC).
Titiansloaded reports that the organisation wants the Nigeria Data Protection Commission (NDPC) to examine the reported irregularities, determine whether Nigerians’ personal data were compromised and identify those responsible.
SERAP made the request in a letter dated October 31, 2026, signed by its Deputy Director, Kolawole Oluwadare, according to Politics Nigeria.
The appeal followed INEC’s acknowledgement of concerns about suspicious photographs and questionable registration details discovered during the nationwide display of the preliminary voter register from October 9 to 15.
SERAP urged Tinubu to direct the NDPC’s Chief Executive Officer, Dr Vincent Olatunji, to investigate whether the incidents amounted to a breach of the Nigeria Data Protection Act 2023.
The organisation said the reports raised concerns about the protection of personal information and the credibility of the voter register ahead of the 2027 general elections.
It called on the data protection commission to conduct an independent forensic assessment of INEC’s affected databases and systems, including an examination of whether records were accessed or modified without lawful authority.
SERAP also asked the NDPC to determine whether the incidents constituted a personal data breach under Section 65 of the Act and whether INEC complied with its legal obligations on breach notification and record-keeping.
The investigation, it said, should establish how many records were affected, where the incidents occurred, when the questionable entries were created or altered and who was responsible.
SERAP maintained that INEC’s internal review would not replace the NDPC’s independent statutory responsibility to investigate potential data-protection violations.
The group expressed concern that the reported irregularities could involve unauthorised processing of personal information, misuse of access credentials or weaknesses in the safeguards protecting INEC’s records.
It cited Sections 24 and 39 of the Nigeria Data Protection Act, which provide for accurate and secure processing of personal data and protection against unlawful alteration or access. It also referred to Section 40, which requires notification to the NDPC within 72 hours of becoming aware of a breach likely to pose a risk to individuals’ rights and freedoms.
According to SERAP, the reported involvement of registration officers with authorised database access makes it important to determine whether adequate controls were in place and whether they were misused.
The organisation further warned that compromised voter information could affect Nigerians’ rights to privacy and political participation, citing Section 37 of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, as well as provisions of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights.
It urged the NDPC to make its findings and recommendations public, subject to lawful safeguards, and ensure accountability if wrongdoing was established.
SERAP also called for stronger data security and accessible procedures through which affected voters could check and correct their details without being wrongly excluded from the electoral process.
INEC had acknowledged public concerns about suspected AI-generated images in a statement issued on October 27. The commission said questionable records had been identified during the physical display of the preliminary register and flagged for further review.
The electoral body said it had begun examining the cases and was taking corrective measures, including investigating possible technical or procedural failures.
INEC also clarified that the register published online did not reflect all ongoing data-cleanup activities and was not the final certified voters’ register.
The commission said verification, adjudication and data-cleanup procedures would be completed before the final register is certified on December 15, 2026.
SERAP insisted that an independent inquiry was needed to clarify the circumstances surrounding the reported irregularities before the register is finalised. It warned that a lack of transparency could weaken public confidence in the electoral process.
The organisation requested that the proposed measures be implemented within seven days of the receipt or publication of its letter.
