Presidency warns against deepfake videos, says religion being weaponised for political gain

ABUJA — The Presidency has raised alarm over what it described as a growing wave of deepfake videos and manipulated online content aimed at weaponising religion for political purposes ahead of the election season.

The alert was issued on Thursday by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy via its official X handle.

In a public service announcement, the Presidency said it had observed a pattern of coordinated digital misinformation targeting President Bola Ahmed Tinubu through fabricated videos and false audio overlays circulated across social media platforms and messaging apps.

According to the statement, the latest content includes a deepfake video falsely framed around a religious leader, allegedly designed 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 read.

It added that a similar incident occurred earlier, involving a manipulated video with fake audio and false attribution intended to portray the President negatively through the use of an influencer’s identity.

The Presidency warned that the trend reflected a deliberate strategy by “desperate actors” to distort facts, manufacture outrage and inflame religious tensions as political activities intensify.

“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,” it stated.

Reaffirming President Tinubu’s personal and national stance on religious tolerance, the statement noted that the President is a Muslim married to a Christian and leads a multi-religious country anchored on constitutional freedom of worship and peaceful coexistence.

It also referenced his 2026 Easter and Ramadan messages, in which he emphasised shared values between Christianity and Islam, including compassion, justice, sacrifice and love for humanity.

The Presidency urged Nigerians to be cautious before sharing inflammatory content online, warning citizens to always question who stands to benefit from the spread of divisive narratives.

“This is not faith or patriotism. Neither is it politics. This is coordinated manipulation at scale,” it said.

It further called on citizens to verify information before sharing and to resist attempts to destabilise national unity through misinformation.

The statement also warned that individuals and groups involved in spreading false or malicious content could face investigation and prosecution under relevant cybercrime and public order laws in Nigeria.

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