The presidency has accused desperate political actors of circulating a deepfake video of President Bola Tinubu in a bid to spread misinformation and “provoke Muslims against” the Nigerian leader.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the presidency dismissed as “fake news” an image showing Ebuka Obi, founder of Zion Prayer Movement Outreach, praying for an individual.
The image was reportedly taken from a video shared on a TikTok account, internetsecrets2.
A check by TheCable revealed that the account had uploaded an AI-generated video on May 3, 2026, claiming that Obi was praying for President Tinubu.
The caption accompanying the video read: “How BOLA AHMED TINUBU Knelt Down And Asked Evang EBUKA OBI To Pray For Him At Zion Prayer Movement Outreach.”
Responding to the viral clip, the presidency stressed that Tinubu has never concealed his religious identity and has consistently maintained that Nigeria belongs to all citizens regardless of faith.
The statement also linked the incident to another manipulated video involving Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkman, which allegedly used “fake audio and false attributions” to portray the president negatively.
“Today, it is another deepfake video falsely framed around a religious leader in a calculated attempt to provoke Muslims against the President,” the statement read.
“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.”
The presidency reiterated that Tinubu is a Muslim married to a Christian and remains committed to religious tolerance and national unity.
“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,” the statement added.
It further urged Nigerians to avoid sharing inflammatory content without verification and warned against efforts to create religious tension through digital misinformation.
“This is not faith or patriotism. Neither is it politics. This is coordinated manipulation at scale,” the presidency stated.