Seyi Tinubu, the son of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, has issued a strongly worded rebuttal to allegations linking him to a toxic social media dispute between activists and influencers. In a statement released over the weekend, the 40-year-old entrepreneur and philanthropist denied any secret arrangements with content creator Michelle Mukoro, popularly known as King Mitchy, and slammed digital activist Martins Vincent Otse (VeryDarkMan) for attempting to “weaponize” his name.
The controversy erupted following an online war between King Mitchy and VeryDarkMan (VDM) over the renovation of a public school. After King Mitchy completed the project in just six days, VDM alleged that the project was a state-sponsored “PR stunt” financed by Seyi Tinubu to launder the administration’s image. The activist further escalated the claims by suggesting that the President’s son and the influencer were threatening his life—allegations Seyi Tinubu has labeled “reckless and fictional.”
“Let me be clear: the allegations and insinuations made about me are false,” Tinubu wrote on his Instagram story. He clarified that he has met King Mitchy only once in a public setting, where he provided financial support for her NGO, a gesture he says is consistent with his decade-long record of backing youth-led initiatives. “There has never been a private encounter, no secret arrangement, and no impropriety of any kind.”
The online feud took a darker turn on Saturday when King Mitchy reportedly attempted to consume a poisonous substance during a livestream amid intense cyberbullying from VDM’s followers. While hospital reports confirmed she survived and is stable, Seyi Tinubu condemned the “sensationalism” of the dispute, warning that no disagreement should risk a person’s mental well-being or safety. “I will not be bullied, and I will not dignify fiction with panic,” he stated, adding that VDM appeared to be looking for a “trigger” to attack his reputation.
The incident highlights the growing power and danger of unregulated influencer narratives in Nigeria’s digital space. As legal notices are reportedly being issued to VeryDarkMan by diaspora groups over defamatory comments, Seyi Tinubu’s firm stance marks a refusal to let the presidency be dragged into what he termed “manufactured digital chaos.”
