The duo made the call at the Eminent Personalities workshop of the Association of Communication Scholars and Professionals of Nigeria ASCPN, Ebonyi State chapter with the theme, "Communication, Artificial Intelligence and Credible Elections in Nigeria.,’’
Delivering the keynote lecture at the workshop held at Alex Ekwueme Federal University Ndufu-Alike Ebonyi State, Prof. Ernest Ituma Egba, described AI as a transformative technology capable of improving voter education, electoral data analysis, election logistics, biometric verification and transparency in election administration.
He expressed concerns that the same technology could be exploited to spread misinformation, deep fakes, AI-generated fake news, voice cloning, manipulated images and automated propaganda capable of eroding public confidence in electoral processes. According to him, technology alone cannot guarantee credible elections, stressing that integrity, transparency; accountability and responsible communication must guide the deployment of AI in democratic governance.
"Technology without integrity merely digitizes existing problems, while technology without transparency simply automates distrust," he said.
Prof. Egba further stressed that communication and AI must work together, noting that while AI enhances efficiency and analytical capacity, communication builds understanding and public trust, while urging communication scholars, journalists, policymakers, electoral bodies, technology experts and civil society organizations to collaborate in promoting media literacy, fact-checking and the ethical application of AI.
Prof Egba challenged universities to establish Artificial Intelligence Research Centres, Digital Communication Laboratories, Election Technology Research Groups and Fact-Checking Units to develop home-grown solutions to Nigeria's democratic challenges.
Declaring the workshop open, the Vice-Chancellor of Alex Ekueme Federal University Ndufu Alike, Prof Daniel Nwachukwu described the event as timely ahead of the country's next round of elections, noting that discussions on communication and electoral credibility are crucial to strengthening democracy. He expressed optimism that the workshop would provide practical solutions for rebuilding trust in the electoral system through responsible communication and informed public engagement.
Prof. Nwachukwu who was represented by the Deputy Vice-Chancellor Administration, Prof. Celestine Affiukwa, urged students to take advantage of the presence of eminent scholars and professionals by learning from their experiences instead of seeking shortcuts to success. He cautioned against the growing obsession with quick wealth, using the rise and eventual decline of the once-thriving Mgbuka Obosi spare-parts market as an example of how trends can become saturated.
Prof. Nwachukwu encouraged participants to ask questions, acquire valuable knowledge from accomplished professionals and remain committed to hard work, discipline and long-term career development, calling for renewed efforts to restore public confidence in Nigeria's electoral process, saying many citizens have lost faith in elections.
Earlier in his opening remarks, the Chairman of the occasion, Hon. Amaechi Nwali, described the theme as timely and significant, noting that communication remains the foundation of every democratic society. He observed that while AI presents enormous opportunities for improving voter education, election logistics and information dissemination, it also poses serious threats through misinformation of fake content, automated propaganda and the manipulation of public opinion.
The event Chairman urged young scholars to produce evidence-based research and practical solutions capable of strengthening the integrity, transparency and credibility of elections in Nigeria
Presenting the lead paper titled Combating AI-Generated Misinformation for Credible Elections in Nigeria", a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Uchenna Njoku, stated that artificial intelligence (AI)-generated misinformation poses a major threat to the credibility of Nigeria's 2027 general elections, calling for urgent legal, institutional and public measures to protect the country's democracy.
He said generative AI has made it possible to create convincing fake speeches, images, videos and voice recordings capable of influencing millions of voters within minutes.
Using the biblical account of Isaac, Jacob and Esau and William Shakespeare's Twelfth Night to illustrate how appearances can be deceptive, Njoku stressed that advances in generative AI had made it increasingly difficult to distinguish authentic content from fabricated materials. He warned that fake videos and audio recordings purportedly made by political candidates could incite violence, mislead voters and alter the outcome of elections if citizens failed to verify their authenticity before sharing them.
The legal luminary cited examples from Slovakia's 2023 election, where a fake audio recording allegedly influenced the outcome of the polls, the 2024 United States presidential primary in New Hampshire, where AI-generated calls falsely attributed to former President Joe Biden discouraged voter participation, and India's 2024 elections, where AI played a significant role in political communication.
He urged Nigerians, particularly young people, to resist being recruited to generate or disseminate false information for political purposes, stressing that existing laws, including the Nigeria Data Protection Act and the Cybercrimes Act, provide sanctions for digital offences. He further explained the concepts of misinformation, disinformation and malinformation, urging social media users to verify information before sharing it and avoid becoming channels for information disorder.
The legal scholar called for comprehensive legislation specifically regulating artificial intelligence and recommended amendments to the Electoral Act to criminalize AI-generated electoral offences ahead of future elections, while urging communication scholars and researchers to contribute their expertise to the ongoing legislative efforts aimed at developing a robust legal framework for AI regulation in Nigeria.
Presenting a goodwill message, the National President (ACSPN), Professor Rotimi Olatunji, mentioned that the forum was organized as part of the association's efforts to deepen national conversations on digital innovation and its implications for governance, democracy and communication.
According to him, society has moved beyond the digital age into an era driven by artificial intelligence, making it imperative for governments, institutions and citizens to understand both the opportunities and risks associated with the technology, calling for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) and stronger institutional safeguards to protect the credibility of Nigeria's 2027 general elections.
The ACSPN President noted that while AI has the potential to transform development across Africa and the world, it also poses significant challenges to electoral integrity if not properly regulated, referring to lessons from previous elections.
Olatunji stressed that human responsibility must remain central to democratic processes despite rapid technological advancements, urging political leaders, public institutions and citizens to ensure that AI-generated information is properly verified before it is circulated or relied upon for political decision-making as well as preserving credible elections and strengthening democracy.
In dear remarks, the National Vice President of ASCPN Southeast and South South, Prof. Ifeyinwa Nsude and the Ebonyi State Coordinator of ASCPN, Asso Prof Joseph Chukwu called on professionals, Scholars and students of mass communication to utilize the opportunity provided by the different programmes of ASCPN to enrich their knowledge.
The highlight of the event was presentation of award of excellence to deserving individuals and award of academic scholarship of N100, 000 each to 10 best performing students of AE-FUNAI and Ebonyi State University by Uchenna Njoku (SAN).
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