Justin Ijeh, spokesperson for the Obidient Movement, has urged the Independent National Electoral Commission to remove Dr Lawrence Bayode, its Director of Information and Communication Technology, following controversy over AI-generated images appearing in the voters’ register.
Ijeh said Bayode should not continue in such a sensitive role if he was unable to ensure the security, accuracy and integrity of the electoral database. In an interview on Arise News, he described the incident as further evidence of incompetence in an area of national importance, warning that failures in electoral technology could damage Nigeria’s democratic system.
He said Nigerians were again facing claims that the voters’ register may have been manipulated ahead of an election, without a clear indication that any officials involved would face consequences. The register, he argued, is too consequential to be administered without rigorous technical controls, strong oversight and clear accountability.
“Why is the public the one having to draw attention to these issues? If you cannot manage something as critical as the voter system, you have no business being at INEC,” Ijeh said.
He noted that Bayode also headed INEC’s ICT Directorate during the previous elections, when technical failures at the commission triggered questions about its readiness to rely on digital systems.
Ijeh said he was especially concerned by Bayode’s statement that certain INEC employees had interfered with the voters’ register. In his view, such an acknowledgement by the official overseeing the commission’s technology operations raises major concerns about internal supervision, operational control and the safeguards within the department.
The Obidient Movement representative also criticised what he called Bayode’s casual approach to the allegations, saying it indicated that he had not adequately recognised the seriousness of the office he holds. Managing the voters’ register, Ijeh said, requires specialised technical capabilities because it is central to the credibility of Nigeria’s electoral process.
He described the register as an identity-management platform that should be protected through stringent security arrangements, including zero-trust systems, robust verification procedures and dependable audit trails. He questioned whether INEC had set acceptable error thresholds, adopted adequate data-governance standards and put in place sufficient protections against unauthorised amendments to voter information.
Ijeh also asked whether the commission uses maker-checker controls and internal audit processes to confirm that electoral data has been properly reviewed before it is released publicly.
He connected the issue to earlier worries over delays in displaying the voters’ register, saying the latest allegations could cause additional damage to public confidence in the election process. Nevertheless, he said Nigerians would not be deterred from pressing the electoral body for openness and responsibility.
“INEC must be held accountable, and we are going to hold INEC accountable,” he said.
Ijeh added that officials without the expertise required to oversee essential election technology should not remain in roles where poor decisions or operational failures could undermine the legitimacy of polls. “If you do not understand what it takes to implement highly critical, mission-critical systems such as the voters’ register for an election, you have no business being there, sir,” he said.
