The South-South zonal chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has given controversial social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, also known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), one week to apologise to the President of the Senate, Senator Godswill Akpabio, following disparaging comments made in his recent video.
The APC issued this demand in a statement by the Zonal Organising Secretary, Blessing Agbomhere, which was released on Sunday, April 27.
The statement followed a viral three-minute video in which VDM criticised Akpabio for representing Nigeria at the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican on 20 April 2025.
In the video, VDM called Akpabio’s presence at the Pope’s funeral “shameful,” suggesting that the Senate President should have been in Nigeria visiting states such as Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun, and Enugu, which are grappling with violent crises.
Agbomhere condemned VDM’s remarks, accusing him of blackmail, slander, and character assassination under the guise of activism.
He stated, “VeryDarkMan is becoming notorious for blackmail, slander, and character assassination while pretending to be an advocate for the masses and a social crusader. The unwarranted verbal attack on the number-three citizen of Nigeria, who was duly nominated by the President to represent Nigeria at such a significant event, is unjustified.”
The APC official also clarified that Akpabio’s participation in the Pope’s funeral was at the discretion of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, who chose the Senate President as a worthy representative due to his impeccable character and devout Catholic faith.
“Being a devout Catholic and a family man with unblemished character, President Tinubu saw in Akpabio a worthy ambassador of Nigeria to such an event as the Pope’s funeral and wasted no time in entrusting him with that responsibility. What is wrong with that?” Agbomhere asked.
The APC has issued an ultimatum to VeryDarkMan, demanding that he issue an unreserved apology to Akpabio and refrain from further discrediting the administration of President Tinubu.
Agbomhere also urged Nigerians to disregard VDM’s “uninformed ranting” and reiterated that the current administration is actively addressing the widespread insecurity in the country, which it inherited from previous governments.
He noted that President Tinubu, upon returning from France and the UK, had met with security chiefs and given them clear directives to adopt a new approach in tackling insecurity.
“Does this sound like a man who is not serious about protecting Nigerians?” Agbomhere asked, emphasising that while security challenges are complex and cannot be resolved overnight, the Tinubu administration remains committed to ensuring the safety and security of all Nigerians.
