The South-South Zonal chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern ultimatum to controversial social media figure Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, demanding an apology within one week for his recent critical comments about Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a statement released by the South-South APC’s Zonal Organising Secretary, Blessing Agbomhere, the party cautioned VeryDarkMan to understand the boundary between legitimate activism and slander and warned him against making further attacks on the former Akwa Ibom governor.
The warning came in response to a viral three-minute video where VeryDarkMan criticized Akpabio for leading a five-man federal delegation to attend the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican. In the video, VeryDarkMan labeled Akpabio’s attendance as “shameful,” arguing that the Senate President should have remained in Nigeria to visit states like Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun, and Enugu, which are currently grappling with violent crises.
In reaction to the video, Agbomhere condemned the remarks, accusing VeryDarkMan of engaging in deliberate misinformation and character defamation.
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.”
Agbomhere further defended Akpabio’s participation in the Vatican event, stressing that the Senate President’s selection was a deliberate decision by President Bola Tinubu, who regarded him as a fitting representative based on his personal values and public record.
“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 official gave VeryDarkMan a one-week deadline to issue an unreserved apology to Akpabio and warned him against making further derogatory comments about the Senate President or the Tinubu administration.
Agbomhere also called on Nigerians to dismiss VeryDarkMan’s statements as baseless, affirming that the government is taking robust actions to combat insecurity.
“Upon his return from France and the UK, President Tinubu met with security chiefs and gave 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 said.
He acknowledged that while the country’s security challenges are complex and cannot be eradicated overnight, the Tinubu-led administration remains fully committed to ensuring the safety and protection of all citizens.
