Spokesperson of the Obidient Movement, Justin Ijeh, has called for the removal of Dr Lawrence Bayode, Director of Information and Communication Technology, ICT, at the Independent National Electoral Commission, INEC, over controversies surrounding the appearance of AI-generated images in the voters’ register.
Ijeh said Bayode had no business occupying such a sensitive position if he could not guarantee the integrity and security of the electoral database.
Speaking during an interview on Arise News, the Obidient Movement spokesperson described the development as another demonstration of incompetence in an area of national responsibility where mistakes could undermine democracy.
He expressed concern that Nigerians were being confronted with allegations of manipulation of the voters’ register ahead of an election without any clear indication that those responsible would be held accountable.
According to him, the electoral register is too important to be managed without strict technical standards, effective monitoring and 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,” he said.
He also recalled that Bayode supervised INEC’s ICT Directorate during the previous elections, when the commission experienced technical glitches that raised concerns about its technological preparedness.
Ijeh said he was particularly disturbed by Bayode’s explanation that some INEC staff had tampered with the voters’ register.
He argued that such an admission from an official responsible for overseeing the commission’s ICT operations raised serious questions about the level of control and supervision within the department.
The Obidient Movement spokesperson further criticised what he described as Bayode’s lackadaisical manner of addressing the allegations, saying the situation suggested a failure to appreciate the importance of the responsibility entrusted to him.
He maintained that the management of the voters’ register required highly specialised technical expertise because the document serves as a critical component of Nigeria’s democratic process.
According to Ijeh, the voters’ register is essentially an identity management system that requires strict security measures, including zero-trust protocols, effective verification processes and reliable audit controls.
He questioned whether INEC had established acceptable margins for errors, proper data governance procedures and adequate safeguards to prevent unauthorised changes to voters’ information.
Ijeh also asked what maker-checker procedures and internal audit mechanisms the commission had implemented to ensure that electoral data was properly verified before being published.
He linked the controversy to earlier concerns about delays in displaying the voters’ register, warning that the latest development could further weaken public confidence in the electoral process.
Ijeh, however, insisted that the development would not discourage Nigerians from demanding transparency and accountability from the electoral body.
“INEC must be held accountable, and we are going to hold INEC accountable,” he said.
He added that officials who lacked the necessary expertise to manage critical electoral technology should not remain in positions where their actions or failures could affect the credibility of elections.
“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,” Ijeh said.