2027: Fact-Check Influencers Like Pastors, Femi Lazarus Urges Nigerians

Pastor Femi Lazarus, of the Light Nation Church, has urged Nigerians to scrutinise and fact-check social media influencers with the same level of attention they give to religious leaders, warning that misinformation could significantly influence the 2027 general elections.

Lazarus made the call while speaking about the growing role of influencers in shaping public opinion ahead of the elections.

According to him, Nigerians would address a significant portion of the country’s challenges if they developed the habit of verifying claims made by influential personalities online.

“If Nigerians can begin to fact-check their influencers the way they fact-check pastors, we will solve 50% of our problems,” he said.

The cleric also raised concerns over alleged financial inducements being offered to some influencers ahead of the 2027 elections.

He claimed that some influencers had been paid in foreign currency to promote particular narratives, adding that Nigerians should be wary of online personalities who may deliberately manipulate public opinion for political interests.

“The 2027 election is around the corner, and they have paid a lot of influencers in dollars. Some will either go mute or begin to give you impressions,” Lazarus said.

He therefore encouraged Nigerians to independently verify political claims, scrutinise sources and avoid accepting social media narratives simply because they are promoted by popular influencers.