Presidency Alleges Plot To Use Deepfakes, Religion Against Tinubu

The Presidency has raised alarm over what it described as a coordinated attempt to weaponise religion and deploy deepfake content to discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu ahead of the 2027 political season.

In a public service announcement issued on Thursday by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy, State House, the Presidency said there was a growing pattern of manipulated videos, fake audio recordings and false attributions being circulated online to provoke religious tension and turn Nigerians against the President.

The statement said a manipulated video overlaid with fake audio and falsely linked to an influencer was recently circulated to portray President Tinubu negatively, while another deepfake video allegedly involving a religious leader was being pushed online in what it described as a calculated attempt to incite Muslims against the President.

“We are aware of yet another deliberate attempt to weaponise religion for politics across various online platforms,” the statement said.

“The pattern is becoming increasingly obvious.

“As the political season approaches, desperate actors will continue to manufacture outrage, distort faith, manipulate context, spread falsehoods, and push dangerous emotional bait across social media platforms and WhatsApp groups in an attempt to divide Nigerians for political gain.”

The Presidency insisted that President Tinubu had always been open about his religious identity and commitment to religious tolerance, stressing that Nigeria remained a multi-religious nation founded on constitutional freedom of worship and peaceful coexistence.

“President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has never hidden who he is. He is a Muslim. He is married to a Christian. He leads a multi religious nation built on constitutional freedom of worship, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence,” the statement added.

According to the Presidency, the President had consistently promoted unity across religious and ethnic lines, including in his 2026 Lent and Ramadan message where he emphasised that Christianity and Islam shared common values rooted in compassion, sacrifice, justice, peace and love for humanity.

The statement urged Nigerians to be cautious before sharing provocative online content capable of inflaming religious tension.

“Before sharing such inflammatory content, Nigerians must pause and ask one simple question: who benefits from setting citizens of different faiths against one another?” it stated.

Describing the trend as “coordinated manipulation at scale,” the Presidency warned citizens against spreading unverified information and called for vigilance against attempts to destabilise national cohesion through digitally amplified disinformation.

It also warned that individuals behind the circulation of fake and malicious content would be tracked and reported to law enforcement agencies in line with relevant laws on cybercrime, incitement, public mischief and dissemination of false information capable of threatening public peace and national security.

“In line with the laws of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, including provisions relating to cybercrime, incitement, public mischief, and the malicious spread of false information capable of threatening public peace and national security, relevant cases and digital actors involved in such activities will be identified and reported to the appropriate authorities for investigation and necessary action,” the statement added.