The Presidency on Thursday warned Nigerians against the growing circulation of fake media contents and digitally manipulated materials designed to mislead the public, inflame religious sentiments and discredit the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.

In a public notice posted on the Presidency’s verified X handle, @NGRPresident, the government accused desperate political actors of deploying deepfake technology and coordinated disinformation campaigns ahead of the 2027 election season.

The statement authored by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy in the Presidency said recent incidents involving manipulated videos and fake audio clips were part of a deliberate strategy to weaponise religion and provoke division among Nigerians.

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

According to the notice, a manipulated video overlaid with fake audio and false attributions had earlier been circulated online to portray President Tinubu negatively through the identity of a social media influencer.

It added that another deepfake video falsely linked to a religious leader had also emerged in what it described as a calculated attempt to incite Muslims against the President.

“The pattern is becoming increasingly obvious,” the Presidency stated.

It warned that as political activities intensify ahead of the 2027 elections, some actors would continue to manufacture outrage, distort religious issues, manipulate context and spread falsehoods through social media platforms and WhatsApp groups.

“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 statement added.

The Presidency reaffirmed President Tinubu’s commitment to religious freedom, peaceful coexistence and national unity, stressing that the President had always maintained a clear position on interfaith harmony.

“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,” it stated.

The notice recalled that In his 2026 Lent and Ramadan message, the President emphasised that Christianity and Islam shared common values rooted in compassion, sacrifice, justice, peace and love for humanity.

The Presidency urged Nigerians to critically evaluate provocative online contents before sharing them, warning against attempts to set citizens of different faiths against one another.

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

Describing the trend as “coordinated manipulation at scale,” the Presidency called on citizens to reject divisive propaganda and verify information before disseminating it.

It also warned that individuals involved in spreading false information capable of threatening public peace and national security would face investigation and possible prosecution under relevant Nigerian laws, including provisions relating to cybercrime, incitement and public mischief.

“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 Presidency stated. (The Nation)