The South-South Zonal chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has given popular social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan, a one-week ultimatum to apologize to Senate President Godswill Akpabio over what it described as a disparaging video.
In a statement issued Sunday in Abuja by the South-South APC Zonal Organizing Secretary, Blessing Agbomhere, the party warned VeryDarkMan to distinguish between activism and slander, urging him to refrain from attacking Akpabio in the future.
Agbomhere’s response follows a viral three-minute video in which VeryDarkMan criticized Akpabio’s attendance at the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican, calling it “shameful.” The influencer argued that Akpabio should have prioritized visiting Nigerian states grappling with violence, such as Benue, Plateau, Ogun, Kwara, and Enugu, rather than traveling abroad.
Describing the attack as “unwarranted,” Agbomhere accused VeryDarkMan of engaging in blackmail, slander, and character assassination under the guise of activism. He defended Akpabio’s trip, explaining that President Bola Tinubu had nominated the Senate President to lead the five-man federal delegation to the Vatican, recognizing his standing as a devout Catholic and an ambassador for Nigeria.
“VeryDarkMan must immediately tender an unreserved apology to the Senate President within one week and desist from further actions that could tarnish the image of the Tinubu-led administration,” Agbomhere said.
He also urged Nigerians to disregard the influencer’s “uninformed rants,” assuring that the government is working tirelessly to address the country’s security challenges inherited from previous administrations.
Agbomhere noted that President Tinubu, upon returning from official trips to France and the United Kingdom, had convened a security meeting with service chiefs, where he issued fresh directives aimed at intensifying efforts to secure lives and property across the nation.
“The complex security issues confronting Nigeria cannot be resolved overnight. However, the Tinubu administration remains committed to achieving lasting peace and security,” Agbomhere added.
