Presidency Warns Nigerians Against Deepfake Videos, Religious Disinformation Ahead of 2027

The Presidency has raised the alarm over coordinated attempts to use manipulated digital content and religion to create political tension ahead of the 2027 elections, warning that offenders will be prosecuted under cybercrime and incitement laws.

The warning, issued by the Office of Digital Engagement and Strategy, accused “desperate political actors” of deploying deepfake videos and fake audio recordings to inflame religious tensions and damage the reputation of public officials.

Deepfake Videos Targeting Tinubu, Religious Leaders

The statement noted that a manipulated video overlaid with fake audio had recently portrayed President Tinubu negatively via a social media influencer — a reference to the VeryDarkMan audio saga (covered in Post 2772). It also flagged a separate deepfake video falsely linked to a religious leader, designed to incite Muslims against the president.

The Presidency reaffirmed Tinubu’s commitment to religious freedom and cautioned Nigerians to verify digital content before sharing, particularly material that could stoke religious or ethnic divisions.

“The deliberate weaponisation of religion through manipulated media is a threat to national security and social cohesion,” the statement said.

It warned that the government would deploy all legal means, including cybercrime and public incitement laws, to prosecute those found to be creating or distributing malicious deepfake content.

Growing Concern Over AI-Generated Misinformation

The warning comes amid growing concern over the use of artificial intelligence to generate convincing fake audio and video content targeting political figures. The VDM audio case (Post 2772) and now this broader statement suggest the government is taking a more aggressive stance on digital disinformation ahead of the 2027 election cycle.

Political analysts have noted that deepfake technology poses a significant risk to electoral integrity, as manipulated content can spread rapidly on social media platforms before fact-checkers can respond.

Sources: Punch, The Nation