2027: App Launched to Fight Fake News, Misinformation against Tinubu

Alex Enumah in Abuja

An Artificial Intelligence (AI) Application (App) called “BAT-BOT AI” has been launched to combat fake news and misinformation that may surround President Bola Tinubu’s re-election bid ahead of the 2027 general elections.

The AI App introduced by a Nigerian technology expert, Gunu Usman, is presently functional on various social media platforms such as WhatsApp, X (Twitter); and Telegram, amongst others.

During the launch of the App on Wednesday in Abuja, Usman, who is also the founder of LYT24 Technologies, disclosed that the objective is to ensure that facts travel faster than falsehood.

According to him, the rapid spread of misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, hate speech, and manipulated narratives targeting the administration, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and national institutions, presents significant risks to democratic stability and public trust.

Usman explained that his team designed the BAT-BOT AI (Bola Ahmed Tinubu AI-Bot) to support public access to verified information and counter the spread of fake news and misinformation, adding that the app is a sovereign AI-powered civic information and fact-verification platform.

“In an era where elections are increasingly won or lost in the digital arena, Nigeria is witnessing the emergence of a new kind of political infrastructure — one powered not by billboards or campaign caravans, but by artificial intelligence (AI).

“As the nation moves toward the 2027 general elections, the true battleground has shifted to the smartphones of over 100 million Nigerians, where narratives spread in seconds and public perception can shape political outcomes”, he said.

Usman said in response to this evolving landscape, the app is created to strengthen Nigeria’s digital information ecosystem ahead of the 2027 electoral cycle.

“Developed through a strategic innovation effort led by Usman and his team, BAT-BOT AI is dedicated to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu and aligns with the Renewed Hope Agenda, with a mission to promote transparency, safeguard verified information, and strengthen democratic engagement in the digital age.”

He said BAT-BOT AI is currently accessible to Nigerians through multiple digital platforms, allowing citizens to interact with the system to verify claims, ask questions about government policies, and obtain accurate information about national development initiatives.

According to him, through these platforms, users can interact with BAT-BOT AI to verify text, images, videos, and voice notes; access information on government policies and projects; and receive real-time responses to civic and governance-related questions in a simplified and accessible format.

He said to bridge literacy and language gaps, BAT-BOT AI explains public policies, governance issues and democratic processes in English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin.