Ahead of the 2027 general elections, fresh concerns have emerged over the possible impact of artificial intelligence, increasing political competition, electoral technology and weak enforcement of electoral laws on the forthcoming general elections.
The concerns are contained in the early findings of the #TrackingNaija2027Elections initiative, a collaborative electoral monitoring project involving the Centre for Research on Development of African Media, Governance and Society, CEREDEMS-Africa, the Centre for Peace and Strategic Studies, University of Ilorin, and the Institute of Geopolitical Communications, RUDN University, Moscow.
The initiative, which has deployed a 300-member volunteer monitoring network, says Nigeria’s electoral environment is already evolving ahead of the formal campaign and election period.
Director of Communications, CEREDEMS-Africa, Stephen Obiri, says the initiative will continue to monitor developments and provide evidence-based information to stakeholders and the public as the 2027 electoral cycle progresses.
According to him, “the broader objective is to ensure that emerging risks are identified early, institutions are better prepared and citizens have access to credible information about the forces shaping the country’s elections.”
One of the key findings is the increasing use of artificial intelligence (Ai) in political communication, with monitored content showing the deployment of AI-generated materials to promote political candidates and parties, as well as attack opponents.
The researchers categorise the emerging content as “glowfake”, used to glorify candidates, parties and national issues, and “foefake”, which targets opponents and political issues.
According to the initiative, the development raises concerns beyond misinformation, as synthetic content could increasingly be deployed as a strategic campaign tool capable of shaping voter perceptions, amplifying political narratives and deepening existing divisions.
The monitoring team says this means electoral stakeholders will need to pay greater attention not only to whether political content is authentic, but also to who produces it, who it targets, the narrative it promotes and its potential effect on political participation and democratic stability.
However, the initiative also raises concerns about Nigeria’s reliance on technology across different stages of the electoral process, including voter accreditation, voting, recording, transmission, collation and declaration of results.
It notes that although technology could improve the speed, transparency and traceability of elections, weaknesses at any point in the process could undermine public confidence in the entire electoral system.
The groups are therefore calling for stronger technological preparedness by the Independent National Electoral Commission, adequate training for election officials and clearer public understanding of how election results are recorded, transmitted, collated and declared.
Another major concern identified by the monitoring exercise is the enforcement of electoral laws, particularly provisions addressing threats, violence, force and abusive language by political actors.
The initiative argues that the existence of legal provisions alone may not be sufficient to prevent electoral violence, stressing that violations must be identified and sanctions consistently applied.
It warns that when inflammatory political conduct goes unchecked, it could escalate into intimidation, violence and broader electoral crises.
The monitoring findings further suggest that the issues confronting the 2027 elections are interconnected, as increased political competition could intensify campaign messaging, while AI and other digital technologies may provide political actors with more sophisticated tools for persuasion, mobilisation and attacks.
According to the partners, the objective is to identify such risks early and translate electoral data into evidence that can guide public discussion, institutional preparedness and preventive action.
The initiative says its future monitoring will focus on electoral governance, political finance and vote commodification, electoral security, information integrity, artificial intelligence and elections, electoral justice, peace and inclusive political participation.
Meanwhile, partners have stressed that the project is non-partisan and is not designed to promote any candidate or political party, but to provide independent evidence on factors capable of strengthening or undermining Nigeria’s electoral process.