Walls and Ceilings - Can I use drywall "mud" over wallpaper/paneling?

Can I use drywall "mud" to texture over paneling or wallpaper?

Our family room walls have paneling installed directly to the studs (no drywall underneath).
Then someone has applied a wallpaper liner and wallpaper over it. It is a bumpy, lumpy
mess. We cannot afford to take all the paneling down and drywall it and texture it.

Can I apply drywall mud or wall texture directly over the wallpaper and then paint it?

Or, can I try to remove the wallpaper and then texture the walls and paint?

Any suggestions or other solutions to disguising these walls would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks!

I wouldn't because the wallpaper may have loose spots that will blister when you apply the mud. The seems will show for sure. In my opinion I think you should remove the paneling and hang and finish new drywall. Sounds bad but its the correct way to do it.