The South-South Zonal chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a one-week ultimatum to controversial social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, demanding an apology for disparaging remarks made against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
The APC accused VeryDarkMan of crossing the line between activism and slander after he criticized Akpabio for leading a five-man Federal Government delegation to the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican on Saturday. In a viral three-minute video, VeryDarkMan described Akpabio’s participation as “shameful,” suggesting the Senate President should have remained in Nigeria to address ongoing violent crises in states like Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun, and Enugu.
Responding to the video, the South-South Zonal Organising Secretary of the APC, Blessing Agbomhere, condemned VeryDarkMan’s comments, describing them as blackmail, slander, and character assassination disguised as activism. Agbomhere stated that Akpabio’s presence at the Vatican was a decision made by President Bola Tinubu, who nominated him as a worthy ambassador of Nigeria due to his impeccable character and devout Catholic faith.
“VeryDarkMan is becoming notorious for blackmail, slander, and character assassination while pretending to advocate for the masses,” Agbomhere said. He defended Akpabio’s participation, insisting there was nothing wrong with his nomination to represent Nigeria at such a significant event.
Agbomhere further warned VeryDarkMan against any future attacks on Akpabio and urged Nigerians to disregard what he termed “uninformed ranting.” He insisted that the Tinubu administration remains committed to addressing security challenges, which he said were inherited from previous governments.
“Upon his return from France and the United Kingdom, President Tinubu met with security chiefs and directed them to adopt a new strategy in combating insecurity. Does that sound like a leader who is unserious about Nigerians’ safety?” Agbomhere asked.
He stressed that while security challenges are complex and cannot be solved overnight, the Tinubu-led government is fully dedicated to ensuring the safety and security of all citizens.
VeryDarkMan has yet to respond to the APC’s demand.
