Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar, the presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress (ADC), has demanded an independent forensic audit of Nigeria's voter register following INEC's admission that AI-generated photos were entered into it.

What he demanded

In a statement issued on Friday, 30 October 2026, by Phrank Shaibu, communications director of the ADC presidential campaign, Atiku called for the audit to be carried out by accredited experts with the participation of political parties, civil society groups and international observers. He asked that no disputed records be certified until the audit is complete, and that INEC name, suspend and prosecute every officer involved. He also asked the commission to preserve voter records, image files and access logs, and to publish the names of companies contracted to produce sensitive election materials. The statement warned that the campaign would go to court to force disclosure if INEC refused.

The 20 million claim

The statement claimed that more than 20 million AI-generated images may be involved. The campaign did not publish evidence for the figure, and INEC has not given a number of affected records.

INEC's position

INEC's ICT director, Lawrence Bayode, said this week that some registration officers with system access entered AI-generated and poor-quality photos, and that the commission knows how it happened but not why. Atiku's campaign described that explanation as an evasion. INEC says the online register is still being cleaned up and that the final version will be certified on 15 December.

What happens next

Other opposition parties are expected to join calls for an audit, and the issue is likely to dominate election debates in the coming weeks.

Omoyele Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) for 2027, has raised the alarm that he was attacked and abducted by armed thugs in Ado-Ekiti, the capital of Ekiti State.

What he said

In a Facebook post on Friday, 30 October 2026, Sowore wrote that thugs had attacked him and his team inside a restaurant in Ado-Ekiti. A further post said he had been kidnapped by armed men and that his location was unknown. His campaign repeated the alarm on his official X account. It was not immediately clear how the attackers got into the restaurant, how many people were involved, or whether anyone with him was hurt.

Hospital and police account

Later on Friday, Sowore shared photos of himself and an aide receiving treatment, and reports said his brother and some supporters were also hurt. The Ekiti State Police Command denied that he had been kidnapped. Its spokesperson, SP Sunday Abutu, said officers responded to a distress call after an altercation at a restaurant in the Dalimore area, rescued him and took him to the Police Hospital, where he was treated for a minor injury. The Commissioner of Police, Michael Falade, ordered an investigation.

Sowore's accusations

Sowore rejected the police account, saying there was no altercation and that he and his team were violently attacked. He accused the Department of State Services of trailing his team since they arrived in the city and giving their location to the attackers, and claimed the attackers came from Ekiti Government House. Neither the state government nor the DSS had publicly responded at the time of reporting. The attack reportedly happened shortly after he left a radio interview.

Background

Sowore, the founder of the online news platform SaharaReporters, has run for president before and is seeking the office again in 2027. He has been one of the loudest critics of the government in recent weeks, condemning the remand of actress and AAC governorship candidate Doris Ogala and claiming that President Bola Tinubu's trip to Saudi Arabia was for medical care, a claim the Presidency rejected. He has also accused the police of using the Cybercrimes Act to protect powerful people. The alleged attack comes amid rising tension and reports of violence at political events as the January 2027 elections draw closer.

How people reacted

Supporters called on the police and the Department of State Services to find him quickly, while others urged caution until the facts are confirmed.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has removed a number of governorship and state assembly candidates from its list for the 2027 elections, according to reports on Friday, 30 October 2026.

Why candidates were removed

INEC reportedly cited a Supreme Court judgment of 24 September 2026 that upheld provisions of the Electoral Act 2026 requiring parties to submit their membership registers before fielding candidates. The commission said it was bound by the Constitution to give effect to decisions of superior courts. It did not say how many candidates were affected in total.

Who is affected

Among those missing from the list were Isa Ali Pantami, the PDP governorship candidate in Gombe State, and Abdulsalam Gwarzo, the NDC candidate in Kano State. Both were reportedly later cleared to proceed, subject to the outcome of cases in court. However, sources said INEC did not extend the same clearance to Ladi Adebutu, the PDP governorship candidate in Ogun State. INEC is expected to issue a formal statement.

Background

INEC published its list of cleared governorship and state assembly candidates on 10 October, and parties that believed their candidates had been wrongly excluded had until 24 October to petition the commission. The 2027 primaries produced many disputes, and courts have already ordered changes to several candidacies, including the Imo West senatorial ticket.

What happens next

Affected parties are expected to go to court or press INEC for a review, and the final list could change again before the January elections.

The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has reportedly admitted that artificial intelligence-generated photos found their way into Nigeria's preliminary voter register, and has blamed some of its own registration officers.

What was said

Speaking on Arise Television, in comments reported on Friday, 30 October 2026, INEC's Director of Information and Communication Technology, Dr Lawrence Bayode, said some registration officers who had login access to the registration system introduced irregularities. He said some of the photos were AI-generated while others came from poor-quality registration, and that the problem was found in states across the country. He reportedly said the commission knew what the officers did and how they did it, but did not know why.

How it was found

Bayode said INEC detected the problem by checking the database with its Automated Biometric Identification System, which compares faces and fingerprints to find duplicates and suspicious entries. He did not say how many records were affected.

Background

INEC published the preliminary register online on 26 October, and social media users quickly shared screenshots of suspicious photos, including some from Edo State, as well as complaints about duplicate entries and missing names. INEC said on 27 October that it was examining and correcting the records, and that the online register was not final.

What happens next

The commission says the register is still going through verification and correction, and that the final register is due to be certified on 15 December 2026. Bayode said INEC is working under pressure to finish the clean-up within the legal deadline. Opposition parties and civil society groups have called for a thorough audit before the January 2027 elections.