The European Union Ambassador to Nigeria and the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), Gautier Mignot, has warned that artificial intelligence (AI)-generated disinformation and digital manipulation could threaten the credibility of Nigeria’s 2027 general elections.
Mignot raised the concern in Abuja on Monday, November 2, 2026, at the opening of a two-day national summit on electoral information integrity, where electoral officials, journalists, technology experts, civil society organisations and other stakeholders gathered to discuss emerging threats to the country’s democratic process.
The summit, titled Beyond the Ballot: Safeguarding Electoral Information Integrity: AI, FIMI and the Integrity of Nigeria’s 2027 Election, is examining how artificial intelligence, misinformation and foreign information manipulation and interference could influence voters and weaken public confidence in election outcomes.
The EU ambassador warned that information manipulation was fundamentally an attack on public trust, stressing that efforts to address the problem must begin before political tensions surrounding the elections intensify.
He called for stronger cooperation among electoral institutions, media organisations, technology platforms, civil society groups and other relevant stakeholders to identify and respond to misleading information.
Mignot also emphasised the importance of ensuring that measures against disinformation do not undermine fundamental rights, press independence and citizens’ participation in the democratic process.
He said responses to the threat must be inclusive, particularly for women and Nigerians who rely on local languages or face barriers to accessing digital information.
The ambassador reaffirmed the European Union’s support for Nigerian-led initiatives aimed at strengthening electoral integrity, stressing that the objective was to support the democratic process rather than influence its outcome.
Also speaking at the summit, Chairman of the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC), Professor Joash Amupitan, warned that emerging digital technologies had created new vulnerabilities for electoral processes.
Amupitan identified manipulated videos, cloned voices, fabricated images and coordinated online campaigns as potential threats to public trust in democratic institutions ahead of the 2027 elections.
He stressed the need for adequate safeguards to ensure that digital manipulation does not mislead voters or interfere with the credibility of the electoral process.
Former INEC Chairman, Professor Attahiru Jega, also called on stakeholders to develop practical recommendations for tackling the growing threat of false information.
Jega proposed the deployment of INEC-backed chatbots capable of providing verified electoral information and helping citizens authenticate claims circulating on social media and other digital platforms.
A major feature of the two-day summit is an interactive simulation of an AI-driven electoral disinformation crisis, designed to test how institutions and information stakeholders would respond when misleading content spreads during an election.
The exercise is expected to examine how quickly false information can circulate, how authorities can verify emerging claims and how accurate information can be communicated to the public during an electoral emergency.
The summit is being organised by the International Press Centre and the Centre for Media and Society, in collaboration with Development Alternatives Incorporated (DAI) and International IDEA, under the European Union Support to Democratic Governance in Nigeria Programme.
Organisers said the gathering brings together approximately 250 participants, including representatives of INEC, media organisations, technology companies, fact-checking groups, government institutions, civil society organisations and academic institutions.
The concerns surrounding AI-generated disinformation have become increasingly important as political parties and candidates prepare for the 2027 general elections, when social media and digital communication platforms are expected to play significant roles in political campaigns.
Artificial intelligence tools can now produce realistic but fabricated photographs, videos and audio recordings that may falsely portray political candidates making statements or participating in events that never happened.
Such material could also be used to impersonate public officials, circulate false election announcements, spread misleading claims about voting procedures and create confusion among citizens.
Another concern is the possibility that coordinated disinformation campaigns could originate from outside Nigeria, using digital platforms to manipulate public discussions and deepen divisions during the electoral process.
The European Union and other stakeholders have therefore called for stronger institutional preparedness, improved verification systems and closer collaboration among organisations responsible for protecting the integrity of electoral information.
Earlier, a separate AI and Democracy Forum organised by Yiaga Africa and its partners also warned that deepfakes, cloned voices and coordinated disinformation could undermine Nigeria’s 2027 elections. Participants recommended stronger human oversight of electoral technology and greater transparency in the use of AI by election management institutions.
The forum also stressed that artificial intelligence should support electoral processes rather than replace human decision-making, particularly in areas involving voter registration, result verification and the protection of citizens’ voting rights.
As preparations for the 2027 elections continue, the latest warning from the EU has renewed attention on the responsibilities of INEC, political parties, media organisations, technology companies and citizens in preventing the spread of fabricated electoral information.
Street News Reporters will continue to monitor the summit’s recommendations, the response of Nigerian electoral institutions and the measures being introduced to protect voters from AI-generated disinformation ahead of the 2027 general elections.
