The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, Atiku Abubakar, has demanded the identification and prosecution of Independent National Electoral Commission officials implicated in the introduction of artificial intelligence-generated photographs and other questionable records into the preliminary register of voters.

Atiku also threatened legal action against the electoral commission if it fails to disclose the identities of the officials involved and the companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials for the 2027 general elections.

He made the demands following INEC’s admission that some registration officers across the country allegedly abused their access credentials to introduce irregularities into the voter registration database.

The former vice president made the demands in a statement issued in Abuja on Friday by the Director of Strategic Communication of the ADC Presidential Campaign Council, Phrank Shaibu, describing the development as a serious breach of public trust and a failure of the commission’s internal safeguards.

Atiku said INEC’s admission that its registration officers had compromised the database raised fundamental questions about the security of the electoral register and the commission’s capacity to guarantee credible elections.

“INEC has admitted that some AI-generated images are on the voter register and that registration officers introduced irregularities across the country.

“The commission charged with protecting Nigerians’ votes has acknowledged that its own system was abused by those entrusted to operate it. This is a catastrophic failure of leadership and safeguards,” the statement said.

He faulted the explanation offered by INEC’s Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, who reportedly said the commission knew how the irregularities were introduced but could not establish the reasons behind the actions of the officers involved.

The ADC presidential candidate described the explanation as an attempt to evade responsibility, insisting that the commission must disclose its findings and explain why those implicated had not been suspended or prosecuted.

“Amupitan cannot admit the misconduct, withhold the perpetrators’ identities, and expect Nigerians to accept ignorance as an excuse,” he said, referring to the INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan.

The former vice president also called for an independent forensic audit of the preliminary voter register, arguing that the commission should not be allowed to remove questionable entries without preserving evidence of how they were introduced.

He urged INEC to preserve all voter records, image files, access logs, and audit trails for examination by independent experts, political parties, civil society organisations, and credible international observers.

“INEC must not quietly ‘clean up’ the register and bury the evidence. The allegation that more than 20 million AI-generated images may be involved demands an independent forensic audit,” he said.

The presidential candidate maintained that every disputed record should be subjected to proper scrutiny before the final register is certified.

Atiku also renewed his demand for transparency in the award of contracts for the production of sensitive election materials, accusing INEC of failing to address concerns raised by opposition parties over the identities of the companies handling such assignments.

He argued that opposition parties were entitled to know the companies involved, the nature of their assignments, and the security arrangements governing the production and handling of election materials.

He threatened that the ADC would seek judicial intervention if the commission failed to provide the requested information.

“If the APC government knows who is handling these materials and what protocols apply, opposition parties must receive the same information. Publish the contractors’ identities and explain the safeguards governing their work.

“If INEC refuses to disclose the truth, we will go to court and compel it. Every official found to have tampered with the register must be prosecuted,” he said.

He further called on opposition leaders and the international community to demand an independent investigation, full disclosure, and accountability, accusing the Tinubu administration of allowing the electoral commission to operate without sufficient scrutiny.

“INEC has no right to demand trust while concealing evidence and shielding those responsible. Name the culprits, expose the contractors, and submit the register and election materials to independent scrutiny. Until then, its assurances are worthless. The credibility of the 2027 election is on the line,” he said.

INEC’s admission followed public concerns over suspicious photographs, alleged duplicate entries, and other inconsistencies in its preliminary register of voters, which was uploaded to the commission’s website on October 26.

The controversy attracted attention after photographs suspected to have been generated using artificial intelligence were spotted in voter records in parts of Edo State, including the Etsako West Local Government Area.

Speaking on Arise Television on Friday, INEC’s ICT Director, Bayode, said the commission’s Automated Biometric Identification System helped uncover the questionable records and trace some of the irregularities to registration officers who had access to its database.

He explained that while some of the photographs were AI-generated, others resulted from what he described as poor registration procedures.

The commission had earlier explained that the online register was the same preliminary document displayed physically at Registration Areas nationwide between October 9 and 15 for the Display, Claims, and Objections exercise.

INEC maintained that the register was not the final certified version and that it was reviewing questionable entries ahead of the scheduled certification of the final register on December 15, 2026.

The controversy has added to growing political scrutiny of INEC’s preparations for the 2027 elections, with opposition parties demanding greater transparency over voter registration, personnel deployments, and the procurement of sensitive election materials.