…Links Viral Deepfake Audio to Coordinated Campaign Against President.
By Yinka Giwa
The Presidency has dismissed as “outright falsehood” reports and viral online content claiming that President Bola Ahmed Tinubu has converted from Islam to Christianity, describing the narratives as part of a coordinated disinformation campaign aimed at sowing religious tension and discrediting the President ahead of the 2027 elections.
In a public service announcement issued by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy, the Presidency said certain political actors and digital influencers were deliberately circulating manipulated videos, fake audio recordings, and misleading messages across social media and WhatsApp platforms to provoke Nigerians along religious lines.
According to the statement, recent online attacks against Tinubu formed part of a broader pattern of misinformation and emotional manipulation targeted at exploiting the country’s religious sensitivities for political gain.
“We are aware of yet another deliberate attempt to weaponise religion for politics across various online platforms,” the Presidency stated.
The controversy comes amid accusations by presidential spokespersons that popular social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), circulated a fabricated or deepfake audio tape purportedly linked to President Tinubu. The administration accused the influencer of spreading fake news and deliberately inciting the public through a manipulated WhatsApp audio file allegedly designed to tarnish the image of the President.
Presidential aides and supporters have since called for legal action over the viral audio, insisting it amounts to intentional misinformation and defamation against the President.
VDM, however, pushed back strongly against the allegations, accusing the Presidency of attempting to silence critics instead of addressing worsening insecurity and economic hardship in the country. In a series of social media posts, the influencer criticised government officials for focusing attention on his videos while kidnappings and bandit attacks continued in parts of the country, including Oyo State.
The social media personality also intensified his criticism of President Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC), openly campaigning against Tinubu’s possible re-election bid in 2027 and urging Nigerians to demand accountability from the administration.
The Presidency, however, warned Nigerians against falling for divisive propaganda as political activities gradually gather momentum ahead of the next general election.
“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.
Reaffirming Tinubu’s religious identity, the Presidency stressed that the President had never hidden his faith, noting that he remains a Muslim married to a Christian while leading a multi-religious nation founded on constitutional freedom of worship and peaceful coexistence.
The statement further reiterated the President’s commitment to national unity, insisting that Nigeria belongs to citizens of all faiths who believe in peace, progress and mutual respect.
The Presidency also urged Nigerians to verify information before sharing inflammatory online content, warning that individuals involved in spreading harmful digital falsehoods capable of threatening public peace and national security could face investigation and possible prosecution under existing cybercrime and public order laws.