The South-South chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has strongly condemned popular social media influencer, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, over his critical remarks against Senate President Godswill Akpabio. The party has given him a one-week ultimatum to tender an unreserved apology or face possible consequences.
In a statement issued on Sunday, the APC accused VeryDarkMan of crossing the line between activism and slander following his comments about Akpabio’s leadership of a federal government delegation to the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican last Saturday.
In a viral three-minute video, VeryDarkMan had described Akpabio’s presence at the Vatican as “shameful,” arguing that the Senate President had no moral justification to attend the funeral while several Nigerian states, including Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun, and Enugu, are grappling with violent killings.
Reacting, a South-South APC chieftain, Blessing Agbomhere, faulted the influencer’s remarks, accusing him of engaging in “blackmail, slander, and character assassination” under the guise of activism.
“VeryDarkMan is becoming notorious for blackmail and character assassination while pretending to be an advocate for the masses,” Agbomhere said. “The verbal attack on the number three citizen of Nigeria, who was duly nominated by President Bola Tinubu to represent the country at the Pope’s funeral, is totally unwarranted.”
Defending Akpabio’s trip, the APC noted that President Tinubu selected him because of his “unblemished character” and deep Catholic faith, making him a fitting representative at the Vatican.
Agbomhere further warned VeryDarkMan to desist from undermining the integrity of the Tinubu-led administration, adding that Nigerians should ignore the influencer’s “uninformed rantings.”
He also stressed that the federal government is actively working to address the country’s insecurity challenges, which he said were inherited from previous administrations.
“Upon returning from France and the UK, President Tinubu met with security chiefs and gave them fresh directives for a new approach in the fight against insecurity. It’s a complex issue that requires time and a strategic plan, not instant results,” the statement added.
