The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has explained why it is yet to take any action on the court judgment involving the leadership crisis in the African Democratic Congress (ADC), insisting that it will not rely on reports circulating on social media without first obtaining and examining the actual judgment.
INEC Chairman, Prof. Joash Amupitan, SAN, said the Commission must formally receive the judgment, study its contents and obtain expert legal advice before determining the appropriate action, stressing that acting on unverified reports could lead to avoidable mistakes.
Amupitan spoke on Monday, November 9, 2026, while responding to questions at a press conference at the Commission’s headquarters in Abuja.
“We don’t just act on the basis of what is on the social media,” he said.
Explaining the Commission’s procedure for handling court decisions, the chairman said judgments of such significance were first referred to his office before being forwarded to the relevant department for professional assessment and advice.
“Normally, when we receive judgment like that, it comes to the Commission, it comes first to the chairman who asks for the expertise advice from the relevant department before it’s taken to the Commission,” he said.
He stressed that INEC had yet to receive the ADC judgment and would therefore not act on information about its purported contents.
“In this case, we are yet to receive the judgment. So the judgment is to be received and studied. I know I’m also a lawyer,” he said, adding that he would personally examine the processes filed in the matter.
The INEC chairman recalled an earlier incident involving a purported Supreme Court judgment which went viral on social media but was subsequently disowned by the apex court. “The Supreme Court disowned itself from it, and even some people have been investigated,” he said.
His position underscores the Commission’s insistence that official decisions on the ADC leadership dispute must be based on an authenticated court document and proper legal interpretation rather than social media reports or public speculation.
On allegations of artificial intelligence-generated photographs infiltrating the voters’ register, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had traced some of the access points through which the images were introduced into its registration system.
He said the Commission had discovered that certain security access points were compromised, with some access credentials allegedly used to facilitate the irregularities.
“We have found the number that were used through AI to infiltrate. You see, it takes just one person to compromise the password,” he said.
He added that some access privileges had been granted by authorised personnel, creating opportunities for the misuse of the system.
In response, Amupitan said he had directed the Director of Information and Communication Technology (ICT) to discontinue the use of web cameras for voter registration and replace them with an application-based camera system.
“We have just directed the director of ICT now that our IVFs, this web camera, should not be allowed again. Instead, we should have an app camera. It is what is on the app that will take picture,” he said.
According to him, the new arrangement would prevent registration personnel from importing photographs from external sources through web links or URLs, thereby strengthening the authenticity of images captured during registration.
“Don’t go and use any URL and begin to import pictures here and there. When things happen like that, you don’t want to fall into the same error,” he added.
The chairman said the Commission had also thoroughly investigated complaints received through its offices, online platforms and social media, clearing several allegations after due examination.
He maintained that the investigations were intended to ensure fairness and transparency and dispel suspicions of a hidden agenda in the handling of the complaints.
On the broader application of artificial intelligence in electoral administration, Amupitan disclosed that INEC had approved a comprehensive AI Governance Framework to regulate the responsible deployment of the technology in its operations.
He said although the Commission had an AI policy approved in 2025, before his appointment as chairman, the rapid evolution of the technology made it necessary to develop a more detailed framework.
“We decided as a Commission to have a comprehensive, well-laid out AI governance framework that will govern responsible deployment of AI,” he said.
Amupitan explained that the framework was developed in collaboration with the International Foundation for Electoral Systems (IFES) and the British High Commission before being subjected to peer review.
He added that the Commission also considered the ECOWAS protocol on the subject before approving the document.
“Just today, the Commission also approved the AI governance framework that will improve on what we used to have,” he said, noting that the guidelines contained safeguards to ensure artificial intelligence was deployed for legitimate and appropriate purposes.
