The South-South chapter of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has given social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, a one-week deadline to apologize for his recent comments about Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a statement issued on Sunday by Blessing Agbomhere, the APC’s Zonal Organizing Secretary for South-South, the party called on VeryDarkMan to distinguish between activism and defamation, warning him against further targeting Akpabio.
The statement was in response to a viral video in which VeryDarkMan criticized Akpabio’s participation in the funeral of Pope Francis in the Vatican, calling it “shameful.” He argued that Akpabio should have focused on visiting states like Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun, and Enugu, which have been affected by violent killings, instead of traveling abroad.
Agbomhere, however, defended Akpabio, clarifying that the Senate President’s attendance at the funeral was not a personal decision, but rather an official one made by President Bola Tinubu, who appointed him to represent Nigeria at the event.
He stated, “VeryDarkMan is increasingly resorting to slander and character attacks while posing as a champion of the people. Attacking the third-highest-ranking official in the country, who was selected by the President for a national duty, is unwarranted. What wrong has Akpabio done by fulfilling his responsibility as a representative of Nigeria?”
Agbomhere emphasized that Akpabio’s appointment was based on his personal integrity and his stature as a devout Catholic, making him a fitting choice for such a significant occasion.
The APC official further demanded an apology from VeryDarkMan, urging him to cease actions that could harm the reputation of the current administration on the global stage.
Agbomhere also dismissed the influencer’s criticisms as “uninformed” and reassured Nigerians that the government is diligently addressing the country’s security challenges, which were inherited from previous administrations.
“After his trip abroad, President Tinubu met with security officials to implement a new approach to tackling insecurity. This shows that he is committed to safeguarding the lives and property of Nigerians,” Agbomhere said.
He concluded by stating that resolving Nigeria’s security issues would require time and sustained effort, a commitment the Tinubu administration remains dedicated to fulfilling.
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