As Nigeria prepares for the 2027 general elections, political campaigns and online discussions are expected to intensify across social media and messaging platforms. Alongside legitimate political debate, voters may encounter false claims, manipulated media and misleading narratives designed to influence their choices, undermine trust in electoral institutions or discourage participation.
Drawing on previous fact-checks and expert insights, The FactCheckHub examines 10 election-related misinformation narratives Nigerians should watch out for ahead of the 2027 polls.
1. Prominent religious leaders have endorsed or rejected specific candidates
Religious endorsements can influence political discussions in Nigeria, where religion remains an important part of public life. As the 2027 elections approach, voters may encounter claims that influential pastors and Islamic clerics have endorsed a particular candidate, withdrawn their support or declared divine backing for a political contender.
Some endorsements may be genuine, while others may involve fabricated statements, old videos presented as recent events or remarks taken out of context. A genuine statement can also be misrepresented to suggest that a religious leader supports a candidate they did not endorse.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, viral articles and graphics falsely claimed that former Emir of Kano Sanusi Lamido Sanusi had endorsed Peter Obi. The FactCheckHub debunked the claim, finding that the viral article falsely attributed an endorsement to the former emir.
Read the FactCheckHub investigation into the false claim that Sanusi endorsed Peter Obi.
Political narratives have also misrepresented the words and actions of Christian leaders. For example, The FactCheckHub previously debunked a claim that Pastor E.A. Adeboye, the General Overseer of the Redeemed Christian Church of God, had staged a protest against the administration of former president Goodluck Jonathan.
2. INEC has postponed or cancelled an election nationwide
False announcements claiming that INEC has postponed, cancelled or rescheduled an election can cause confusion, particularly when they circulate shortly before polling day.
Such posts may imitate official press releases, use the commission’s logo or present fabricated notices as breaking news. If believed, they could mislead voters about when to vote or undermine confidence in the electoral process.
On 12 October 2026, INEC disowned a fraudulent online publication purporting to be a special announcement concerning governorship candidates in six states: Zamfara, Gombe, Delta, Plateau, Yobe and Kano. The commission said the publication did not originate from it and urged Nigerians to disregard it.
The incident illustrates how fabricated official-looking notices can circulate during an election cycle. However, the notice concerned governorship candidates; it was not an announcement postponing an election.
3. BVAS has been hacked or disabled to manipulate results
The Bimodal Voter Accreditation System (BVAS) is used by INEC to verify voters’ identities and accredit eligible voters. Claims that the system has been hacked, remotely disabled or manipulated by political actors may emerge when accreditation is delayed or technical difficulties occur during voting.
However, a delay or device malfunction does not, by itself, establish that hacking has occurred. Technical failures, connectivity problems, operational errors and deliberate interference are different possibilities and should not be conflated without evidence.
In November 2022, INEC assured Nigerians that BVAS was secure against attempts to circumvent its safeguards. The commission’s Director of ICT, Lawrence Bayode, said people attempting to defeat the system would encounter significant obstacles.
4. A candidate has withdrawn from the race and endorsed an opponent
False claims that a prominent candidate has withdrawn from an election or endorsed an opponent can influence voters’ perceptions, especially in the final days of a campaign.
Such claims may circulate as fabricated press statements, edited videos, fake letters or social media graphics bearing a candidate’s name. They may also exploit genuine political negotiations or coalition discussions to suggest that a candidate has abandoned the race.
During the Ondo State governorship election in October 2020, false reports circulated claiming that the Zenith Labour Party (ZLP) candidate, Agboola Ajayi, had withdrawn from the race. The FactCheckHub debunked the claim.
In September 2026, The FactCheckHub also debunked a claim that Peter Obi had announced plans to leave his political coalition.
Before accepting a claim that a candidate has withdrawn or endorsed an opponent, voters should check for an original statement from the candidate, their campaign or political party, and seek independent corroboration from credible news organisations.
5. Voters can use their NIN, driver’s licence or temporary voter slip instead of a PVC
Misleading posts may claim that Nigerians who have not collected their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) can vote by presenting other identity documents, such as the National Identification Number (NIN), a driver’s licence or a temporary voter slip.
These claims can mislead eligible voters about the requirements for participating in an election.
Under Section 47(1) of Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026, a person intending to vote must present a PVC at the polling unit in the constituency where their name is registered. Section 47(2) provides for accreditation using BVAS or another technological device prescribed by INEC.
The law therefore distinguishes between presenting a PVC and undergoing biometric accreditation. A national identity document or driver’s licence should not be presented as a substitute for the PVC on the basis of an unverified social media post.
Read the Electoral Act 2026 published by the National Assembly and consult INEC’s official website for current voter information and procedures.
6. Fake election results are circulating online
During elections, unverified result tallies, fabricated result sheets and misleading graphics can circulate on social media and messaging platforms while voting, counting or collation is still under way.
Some posts may present unofficial figures as final results. Others may reuse genuine result sheets but alter the figures, misidentify the polling unit or present results from an earlier election as current.
The FactCheckHub has previously investigated misleading claims about alleged over-voting in Kogi State’s Adavi, Okehi and Okene local government areas, including claims based on figures said to appear on INEC’s result-viewing portal.
Nigeria’s Electoral Act 2026 sets out procedures for collating, verifying, announcing and declaring election results. Designated collation officers and returning officers have responsibilities at different stages of the process; voters should not assume that every result graphic circulating online is an official declaration.
7. A presidential candidate must win 25 per cent of votes in the FCT to be declared the winner
Misleading interpretations of Nigeria’s constitutional provisions on presidential election results have repeatedly circulated during election periods.
Ahead of the 2023 elections, claims suggested that a presidential candidate could not be declared the winner without securing at least 25 per cent of the votes cast in the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Abuja.
Section 134(2) of the 1999 Constitution, as amended, sets out the requirements for electing a president. In addition to securing the highest number of votes cast, a candidate must obtain at least one-quarter of the votes cast in each of at least two-thirds of all the states in the federation and the FCT, subject to the applicable constitutional provisions.
In 2023, legal analyses examined whether the constitutional requirement meant that a candidate must separately secure 25 per cent of the votes in the FCT. The Presidential Election Petition Court rejected the argument that the winning candidate was required to secure that threshold in the FCT, and the Supreme Court upheld the decision in October 2023.
Read the ICIR report on the Supreme Court’s decision.
8. Foreign governments or international observers have annulled the election
Claims may circulate during or after an election that a foreign government, embassy or international observer mission has declared the result invalid or annulled the election.
Such claims can use fabricated statements attributed to foreign embassies or organisations such as the African Union (AU) and the European Union (EU). They may also misrepresent an observer mission’s criticism of an election as a formal decision to overturn the result.
International election observers can assess the conduct of an election, document irregularities and publish recommendations or statements. They do not, however, have the legal authority to annul a Nigerian election or replace the country’s lawful electoral and judicial processes.
9. AI-generated and manipulated media are being used to mislead voters
AI tools have made it easier to create convincing fake images, videos, audio recordings and documents. However, manipulated media can also involve conventional editing or authentic footage shared with misleading captions.
The FactCheckHub has debunked doctored images falsely showing Peter Obi visiting Nigerian president Bola Tinubu after the 2023 election and conversing with Seyi Tinubu. Read the first fact-check and the second investigation. These examples should not automatically be labelled AI-generated without evidence.
Cyber threats and disinformation researcher Olayinka Sheu warned that detecting deepfakes would become more difficult ahead of the 2027 elections as production tools become more sophisticated and accessible.
“In 2023, it was easier for people to identify manipulated videos and images. You could spot manipulated content by looking for visible inconsistencies, such as unnatural facial movements, distorted images or unusual audio. But now, it’s very difficult,” Sheu said.
Disinformation researcher Rejoice Taddy added that compression on platforms such as WhatsApp, Telegram and TikTok can obscure inconsistencies in manipulated media, making verification harder.
“I tend to look at three things: the content itself, the way it spreads, and who is spreading it,” she said.
Taddy advised readers to scrutinise suspicious press statements and INEC graphics for mismatched fonts, misplaced logos, spelling errors, unusual dates and pasted signatures, and compare them with official announcements.
However, these signs do not conclusively prove manipulation. Genuine documents can contain errors, while sophisticated fakes may appear authentic. Readers should seek corroboration rather than rely solely on appearances or AI-detection tools.
10. Certain ethnic groups are banned from voting in specific states
False claims about ethnic identity, state of origin and voting eligibility can intimidate voters and inflame communal tensions during an election.
A misleading post might claim that members of a particular ethnic group are prohibited from voting in a state, that voters who speak a particular language will be turned away, or that people must belong to a particular community to participate in an election.
Such claims should be treated cautiously. Nigerian citizens who meet the legal requirements for voting cannot lawfully be disqualified from voting solely because of their ethnicity or state of origin. Voters must, however, meet the applicable registration, accreditation and polling-unit requirements.
How election misinformation spreads and what Nigerians can do about it
Election misinformation spreads through trusted networks and appeals to political beliefs, religious identities and a sense of belonging. Taddy said claims about candidate withdrawals and religious endorsements can be particularly persuasive.
“They spread because of trust. In Nigeria, people tend to believe what comes from their family group, their church or mosque, or a friend they know, far more than what comes from an institution or a news website,” she said.
She noted that false claims often spread faster than fact-checkers can verify them, while low institutional trust can undermine corrections.
“One of the major reasons debunking often fails is that trust in institutions is low. When an official body denies a rumour, some people hear it as confirmation that something is being hidden. And because these myths return every election cycle, they begin to feel familiar, and familiarity can feel like truth,” Taddy said.
Such claims often resurface close to election day, leaving little time for corrections and potentially fuelling confusion, cynicism and distrust in the electoral process.
Taddy also warned that coordinated dissemination can make false claims appear credible. Warning signs include identical messages posted across multiple accounts within a short period, emotionally charged appeals to share immediately, newly created profiles, generic pictures and groups of accounts repeating the same talking points.
However, these indicators do not prove coordination. People may unknowingly share false information, and suspicious-looking accounts do not necessarily indicate an organised disinformation campaign.
Seasoned writer and literary curator, Zainab Abdulrasaq is a factchecker for The FactCheckHub in an effort to combat information disorder. She can be reached on IG @blackbookishgirl or zabdulrasaq@icirnigeria.org
