The South-South Zonal chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) on Sunday issued a one-week ultimatum to social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to apologise to Senate President Godswill Akpabio for remarks made in a viral video.
The APC warned VeryDarkMan to distinguish between activism and slander, cautioning him against further attacks on the former Akwa Ibom State governor.
The warning was conveyed in a statement released in Abuja by the Zonal Organising Secretary of the South-South APC, Blessing Agbomhere.
Agbomhere was responding to VeryDarkMan’s criticism of Akpabio for leading a five-man federal government delegation to attend the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican last Saturday.
In the three-minute video, VeryDarkMan described Akpabio’s trip as “shameful,” arguing that the Senate president should have been visiting Nigerian states grappling with violence instead.
In his statement, Agbomhere accused VeryDarkMan of engaging in blackmail and character assassination under the guise of activism.
“VeryDarkMan is becoming notorious for blackmail, slander, and character assassination while pretending to be an advocate for the masses,” he said.
“The Senate President was duly nominated by President Bola Tinubu to represent Nigeria at the funeral. What is wrong with that?”
Agbomhere defended Akpabio’s appointment, describing him as a devout Catholic and a figure of unblemished character.
He stressed that the nomination was a reflection of President Tinubu’s confidence in Akpabio’s ability to represent the country at a significant religious event.
The APC chieftain demanded an “unreserved apology” from VeryDarkMan and warned him against actions that could undermine the reputation of the Tinubu-led administration.
Agbomhere further urged Nigerians to disregard what he described as the “uninformed ranting” of the social media influencer.
He noted that the federal government is actively working to address the country’s security challenges, which he said were inherited from previous administrations.
“Upon his return from France and the UK, President Tinubu met with security chiefs and issued fresh directives to adopt new strategies against insecurity,” he said.
“Security issues are complex and cannot be resolved overnight. The Tinubu administration remains committed to restoring peace across Nigeria.”
