The Presidency has expressed serious concern over what it describes as a deliberate and coordinated effort to weaponize religion and deploy deepfake content to discredit President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. This campaign, according to a public service announcement issued by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy, State House, is aimed at undermining the President ahead of the 2027 political season. A discernible pattern of manipulated videos, fake audio recordings, and false attributions is reportedly being circulated online with the intention of provoking religious tension and turning Nigerian citizens against their leader.

Specifically, the Presidency highlighted recent instances, including a manipulated video with fake audio falsely linked to an influencer, designed to portray President Tinubu negatively. Another deepfake video allegedly involving a religious leader is also being disseminated, which the Presidency views as a calculated attempt to incite Muslims against the President. The statement emphasized that this trend of weaponizing religion for political gain is becoming increasingly obvious as the political season approaches.

The Presidency warned that desperate political actors will resort to manufacturing outrage, distorting faith, manipulating context, spreading falsehoods, and pushing dangerous emotional bait across social media platforms and WhatsApp groups. Their objective is to divide Nigerians for political advantage. In response, the Presidency affirmed President Tinubu's unwavering openness about his religious identity and his strong commitment to religious tolerance. It reiterated that Nigeria is fundamentally a multi-religious nation founded on constitutional freedom of worship, mutual respect, and peaceful coexistence.

President Tinubu, who is a Muslim married to a Christian, has consistently promoted unity across religious and ethnic lines. This commitment was evident in his 2026 Lent and Ramadan message, where he underscored the shared values of Christianity and Islam, rooted in compassion, sacrifice, justice, peace, and love for humanity. The Presidency urged Nigerians to exercise extreme caution before sharing any provocative online content that could inflame religious tensions.

Citizens were advised to pause and consider who benefits from setting people of different faiths against one another. Describing this trend as "coordinated manipulation at scale," the Presidency called for vigilance against attempts to destabilize national cohesion through digitally amplified disinformation. Furthermore, the Presidency issued a stern warning that individuals found to be behind the circulation of fake and malicious content will be tracked and reported to law enforcement agencies. This action will be taken in accordance with relevant laws pertaining to cybercrime, incitement, public mischief, and the dissemination of false information capable of threatening public peace and national security.