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Claim: A viral WhatsApp message claims the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has opened a new online voter registration portal for 2026.
Verdict: False. The purported INEC voter registration portal shared on WhatsApp is fake, and the claim that registration remains open until Aug. 17, 2026, is unsupported by INEC’s official communications.
Full Text
As preparations for Nigeria’s 2027 general election gather momentum, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) has been conducting the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise to enable eligible Nigerians to register for their Permanent Voter Cards (PVCs) or update their voter information.
In 2025, the Independent National Electoral Commission (INEC) announced that the CVR process would begin on August 18, 2025, ahead of the 2027 general election.
In July 2026, INEC announced an extension of the CVR for another two weeks. This meant the CVR exercise initially scheduled to end on July 10, 2026, was extended to July 26, 2026.
The commission provided an official online pre-registration portal for applicants to complete their registration before visiting designated INEC centres nationwide.
However, DUBAWA observed some WhatsApp users sharing a message claiming that INEC had opened another online voter registration portal with a new deadline of Aug. 17, 2026.
The message directs users to a website hosted on the gvly.xyz domain, claiming Nigerians can register for a PVC online and have it delivered using the address they provide.
The message reads, “INEC ONLINE VOTERS REGISTRATION 2026 ONGOING, INEC has opened the Portal for people to register online for the 2026 voter’s card. (The used address will be used for the delivery of your PVC). Online Registration Portal: https://gvly.xyz/Voters-Card-Registration-Portal. CLOSING DATE: 17th AUGUST, 2026.”
Seeing this detail didn’t align with the existing information and registration details earlier shared by INEC, DUBAWA decided to verify this message.
Verification
DUBAWA first observed that the link in the WhatsApp message was not INEC’s, so we looked into it. We opened the link in the viral message, and rather than directing users to an official INEC webpage, it led to a website hosted on the gvly.xyz domain.
After entering registration details, the website displayed a congratulatory message stating that the applicant’s information had been “successfully verified.” However, it imposed unusual conditions before the application could supposedly be approved.
The website instructed users to share the registration link with five WhatsApp groups or 15 friends, and wait to be redirected to an “approval page” after which they will receive an email once their PVC application has been approved.
These requirements are inconsistent with INEC’s voter registration process and resemble phishing tactics. INEC does not require applicants to share registration links on WhatsApp before approving voter registration.
To further verify the website’s authenticity and identify its source, DUBAWA looked up and compared the website referenced in the viral message with the official INEC website using a WHOIS domain lookup.
WHOIS is a publicly accessible database that provides information about a domain name, including its registration date, ownership details (where available), update history, and how long it has existed online.
The WHOIS records revealed a clear difference between the two websites. The official INEC website, inecnigeria.org, has maintained an established online presence for over a decade. Its domain history shows 167 archived snapshots between 2014 and 2026, along with multiple registration updates over the years, reflecting a long-standing, consistently maintained website.
In contrast, the domain gvly.xyz, which is linked in the viral message, has a very limited online history. It has only six archived snapshots covering the period between 2025 and 2026 and just one recorded update. DUBAWA also found that the domain was first registered in July 2025, making it a relatively new website with little historical presence compared to INEC’s long-established official domain.
The significant differences in the ages and digital histories of the two domains further suggest that gvly.xyz is new, not linked to INEC’s official website, and lacks the established online footprint expected of a government electoral body.
Furthermore, a review of INEC’s official announcements shows that the Continuous Voter Registration (CVR) exercise officially ended on Sunday, Jul. 26, 2026, after the commission repeatedly announced the closing date and declined calls for an extension.
The commission’s official online registration platform also stated that the ongoing CVR exercise ended on Jul. 26, 2026.
Conclusion
The WhatsApp message claiming that INEC has opened a new online voter registration portal for 2026 is false.
The linked website is not affiliated with INEC and displays several characteristics commonly associated with scam or Phishing websites.
