A Nigerian technology expert, Gunu Usman, on Wednesday launched an Artificial Intelligence (AI) application known as “BAT-BOT AI” in Abuja, saying Nigeria’s 2027 election contest will largely be fought on the smartphones of over 100 million citizens.

Usman, founder of LYT24 Technologies, said the platform was developed to combat fake news and misinformation that may surround the re-election bid of Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 general elections.

Speaking during the unveiling of the application, he explained that the initiative was designed to ensure that verified information travels faster than falsehood in Nigeria’s rapidly expanding digital political space.

Usman said the innovation was created in response to the growing spread of misinformation, disinformation, deepfakes, hate speech and manipulated narratives targeting the administration, the All Progressives Congress (APC), and national institutions.

According to him, the BAT-BOT AI—short for Bola Ahmed Tinubu AI Bot—is a sovereign AI-powered civic information and fact-verification platform designed to strengthen Nigeria’s digital information ecosystem ahead of the next electoral cycle.

“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 powered not by billboards or campaign caravans but by artificial intelligence,” he said.

“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 the platform allows citizens 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.

Usman added that the system also explains public policies and governance issues in English, Hausa, Yoruba, Igbo and Nigerian Pidgin to bridge literacy and language gaps.

He further noted that BAT-BOT AI functions as a 24-hour digital civic infrastructure, capable of detecting reused old media, identifying manipulated visuals and flagging misleading or AI-generated deepfakes.

The General Manager and Chief Executive Officer of the Lagos State Electrification Agency (LSEA), Engr. Kamaldeen Abiodun Balogun, who presented the project brief, said the intervention restored the 33kV distribution network serving the Gbaji-Seme and Owode-Apa corridor after years of disruption caused by vandalism.

He noted that the project involved the construction of three distribution towers across the Gbaji Lagoon, rehabilitation of power lines and installation of 51 transformer substations along the 37.7-kilometre route, adding that the infrastructure is expected to restore reliable electricity supply, revive economic activities and improve the overall quality of life for residents of the benefiting communities.