The South-South Zonal chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has given controversial social media personality Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), one week to apologise for his disparaging comments aimed at Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a statement issued on Sunday by the Zonal Organising Secretary, Blessing Agbomhere, the APC accused VDM of crossing the line from activism to defamation, following a scathing attack on Akpabio’s participation in Pope Francis’ funeral.
VDM, in a viral video, condemned Akpabio’s presence at the Vatican ceremony, calling it “shameful.” He suggested the Senate President should have instead been in Nigeria addressing the violent crises in states like Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun, and Enugu.
Agbomhere strongly rebuked VDM’s comments, labeling them as slander and blackmail. He emphasised that Akpabio’s attendance at the funeral was a decision made by President Bola Tinubu, who chose him as Nigeria’s representative because of his esteemed character and devout Catholic faith.
“VDM’s attack on the number-three citizen of Nigeria, who was selected by President Tinubu for such a significant event, is utterly baseless,” Agbomhere said. “This is a man of impeccable integrity, a devout Catholic, and a family-oriented leader.”
The APC official further demanded that VDM issue a full apology to Akpabio and cease making unsubstantiated attacks against the government. He urged the public to ignore VDM’s “uninformed rants” and highlighted the current administration’s ongoing efforts to tackle Nigeria’s security challenges.
“President Tinubu has already met with security officials to formulate new strategies for addressing insecurity. His commitment to securing the country is evident, and this should not be undermined by unfounded criticisms,” Agbomhere stated.
The APC gave VDM a one-week deadline to issue an apology, stressing that any further attacks would not be tolerated.
