By Ayorinde Oluokun
The Nigerian presidency has dismissed a video indicating that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has converted from Muslim to Christianity.
The Office of Digital Engagement & Strategy in the presidency made the denial in a statement on Thursday while also warning the public to be wary as more of such videos may surface as the political season approaches.
The office noted that the fake video was circulated on the heels of another manipulated video overlaid with fake audio and false attributions intended to portray President Bola Ahmed Tinubu in a negative light through the use of an influencer’s identity which made the rounds on Wednesday.
The presidency described the video as another deliberate attempt to weaponise religion against Tinubu for politics across various online platforms.
“Today, it is another deepfake video falsely framed around a religious leader in a calculated attempt to provoke Muslims against the President. 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”
However, the presidency was emphatic that Tinubu has not plans to dump Islam for Christianity. It also noted that the President has never hidden the fact that he is wife is a Chritian as well as his belief in Nigeria as a multi-religious country.
“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. His position has always been clear: Nigeria belongs to Christians, Muslims, and citizens of every faith and background who believe in peace, progress, and national unity.
“In his 2026 Lent and Ramadan message, President Tinubu reminded Nigerians that both Christianity and Islam share common values rooted in compassion, sacrifice, justice, peace, and love for humanity,” the presidency said.
It therefore urged Nigerians to always be cautious in sharing contents on the social media while assuring that those behind such fake videos will be fished out and punished according to the law.
“Before sharing such inflammatory content, Nigerians must pause and ask one simple question: who benefits from setting citizens of different faiths against one another?
“This is not faith or patriotism. Neither is it politics. This is coordinated manipulation at scale.
“We urge citizens to reject divisive propaganda, verify information before sharing, and remain vigilant against attempts to destabilise national cohesion through digitally amplified disinformation.
“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 said in the statement.
