EDO VOTER REGISTER: UTOMI, OTHERS DEMAND INEC EXPLANATION OVER ALLEGED AI-GENERATED IMAGES

Economist and Nigeria Democratic Congress chieftain, Prof. Pat Utomi, has called on the Independent National Electoral Commission to address allegations that some photographs in its online voter register for Edo State were generated using artificial intelligence.

The concerns followed social media posts by a user identified as Decosule, who shared screenshots purportedly showing voter records from polling units in Etsako West and Esan Central local government areas.

The user questioned the authenticity of some photographs and asked INEC to explain how they entered the register, who handled the registration and image capture, and whether the associated Permanent Voter Cards had been collected.

Reacting to the posts, Utomi said unresolved questions about the records could weaken public confidence in the electoral process. He urged the commission to prioritise verification, transparency and accountability.

The screenshots reportedly cover entries at Iyoku–Utukwe Afashio Booth and Ikabigbo I–Ikabigbo Primary School in Etsako West, as well as Udomi Primary School in Esan Central.

However, the screenshots alone do not establish that the photographs were AI-generated or that voter registration irregularities occurred.

At the time of the report, INEC had not issued an official response explaining the images or confirming whether it had identified any problems with the records.