The Presidency has called on Nigerians to ignore a TikTok video falsely claiming that President Bola Tinubu has converted from Islam to Christianity. The video alleged that the conversion occurred at a crusade in Abuja organized by the Zion Prayer Movement, led by Evangelist Chukwuebuka Anozie Obi.
Presidency's Response
In a statement released on Thursday, the Presidency described the video as a deliberate attempt to weaponize religion for political gain. “Yesterday, it was a 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. 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,” the statement read.
Warning of Political Season
The Presidency alerted the public that 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.
Tinubu's Faith
The Presidency pointed out that President Tinubu has never hidden his Islamic faith, despite being 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,” the statement added.
Call for Vigilance
The Presidency recalled that 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 advised that 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 destabilize national cohesion through digitally amplified disinformation,” the statement concluded.
Legal Action
The Presidency warned that 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.
