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The Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has dismissed as fraudulent a website circulating online and claiming that the commission has announced a new date for nationwide online voter registration.

INEC, in a public notice on Saturday, said the website falsely claimed that nationwide online voter registration would hold from 28 September 2026 to 27 October 2026.

“The commission wishes to categorically inform the general public that the website below is fake and has no affiliation whatsoever with INEC: http://tinyurl.com/inecnigeria-cv,” it said.

INEC advised the public not to click on the link or submit personal information on the website, saying doing so could expose them to the risk of having sensitive personal data harvested or misused.

The commission clarified that the voter registration exercise closed on 26 July 2026, adding that any information suggesting that a new nationwide online voter registration exercise is currently ongoing through the said website is false.

It urged the public to remain vigilant and verify all electoral information through the commission’s official communication channels.

For enquiries, INEC asked the public to contact its Call Centre on 0700-CALL-INEC (0700-2255-4632), short code 4632, phones 090844444333 and 09050858629, email [email protected], website inecnigeria.org and news portal inecnews.com.

It advised the public to disregard the fraudulent website and rely only on information issued through its official channels.

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Amnesty International Nigeria has urged Nigerian security authorities to investigate allegations of political violence threats made by politicians ahead of the 2027 general elections and ensure that those found responsible are held accountable.

The human rights organisation made the demand in a statement shared on its verified Facebook page on Saturday, following reported remarks attributed to the Edo State Chairman of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Jarret Tenebe.

Amnesty International said Tenebe was reportedly quoted as threatening to deploy the “power of AK-47” against persons allegedly attempting to frustrate the APC’s ambition of securing 2.5 million votes for President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in the 2027 presidential election.

“Tenebe made the threat during a campaign rally in Edo State, where political violence is already rampant,” Amnesty International said.

The organisation also raised questions over the response of Nigerian security agencies, particularly the Nigeria Police Force and the Department of State Services, to what it described as public threats of violence issued by politicians.

It noted that such remarks were being made “in utter disregard for the rule of law and the nation’s Electoral Act.”

Amnesty International called on the authorities to ensure that politicians and other public figures, irrespective of their political affiliations, are held responsible for actions or statements that incite, threaten or encourage politically, religiously or ethnically motivated violence.

The organisation further stressed that accountability should cover individuals involved in carrying out or promoting violence and human rights violations before, during and after the 2027 general elections.

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United States-based artificial intelligence platform, Grok, has responded to questions over whether President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s Independence Day address was generated using artificial intelligence.

President Bola Tinubu, during his Independence Day address on Thursday, declared that the challenges confronting Nigerians were coming to an end and that prosperity was ahead.

In the lengthy broadcast aired by major Nigerian television stations, including Channels TV, Tinubu said there would be no reversal of the fuel subsidy removal policy, which had pushed petrol prices to between N1,370 and N1,423 per litre in Abuja and surrounding areas.

The address generated reactions from Nigerians, including opposition politicians.

The presidential candidate of the African Democratic Congress, ADC, and former Vice President, Atiku Abubakar, described Tinubu’s Independence Day speech as empty and filled with “Yahoo Yahoo” promises.

Meanwhile, a group on X known as iOccupyNigeria alleged that Tinubu’s broadcast had been produced using artificial intelligence.

“For the first time in Nigeria’s history dem use AI to do Presidential broadcast. How we reach this level as a people.

“BTW Villa media people, next time try small, Tinubu mouth no dey even move in sync with him words,” the group said.

However, responding to a question from an X user on Friday, Grok, the Elon Musk-owned AI platform, said it found no indication that Tinubu’s Independence Day address was AI-generated.

“Modern AI-generated videos can be virtually indistinguishable from authentic content, making definitive determination difficult or impossible from visual inspection alone.

“This appears to be a genuine official recording of President Tinubu delivering his 2026 Independence Day address from Aso Villa. It matches the full speech text published by multiple Nigerian media outlets, carries official branding, shows natural movements over nearly 20 minutes, and was posted by his verified account on the day. No signs of AI generation,” Grok said.

Tinubu, Atiku and Peter Obi of the Nigeria Democratic Congress are among the 18 presidential candidates cleared for the January 16 presidential election.