The digital war of words between the presidency and social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has reached a boiling point.
Hours after Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to President Bola Tinubu on Information and Strategy, publicly demanded his arrest and prosecution for circulating a controversial audio recording, VDM released a defiant video message directly addressing the presidential spokesperson. Far from backing down under the threat of federal prosecution, the influencer doubled down, delivering a blistering critique of the administration’s priorities.
The explosive response underscores the deepening friction between Nigeria’s political establishment and an increasingly uncontainable class of online content creators.
“Focus on Hunger, Not My Videos”
In his characteristically raw, direct-to-camera style, VeryDarkMan slammed Onanuga for using the power of the state to target an online commentator while millions of Nigerians grapple with historic economic hardships.
VDM argued that the presidency’s rapid mobilization against him highlights a profound disconnect from the daily realities of the populace, pointing out that inflation, food insecurity, and erratic electricity demand far more urgent executive attention than a viral social media clip.
“Mr. Bayo Onanuga, you are talking about the weight of the law for a video? Go to the markets! Look at the price of fuel, look at the price of food, look at how Nigerians are suffering everyday under this administration. That is what you should be addressing. You cannot use state intimidation to silence the frustration of the people. If the economy was working, nobody would care about an audio tape.”
VDM fiercely rejected the “fake news” label slapped onto his broadcast by City Hall. He challenged the administration to provide a transparent, independent digital forensic audit of the voice note rather than simply using political clout to dictate what is real to the public.
The Legal High Wire: Dissent vs. Cybercrime
The escalating confrontation places VDM back into familiar, highly volatile legal territory. By directly challenging Onanuga’s directive, the activist is betting on his massive grassroots popularity to act as a shield against potential detention.
Legal analysts in Abuja note that the presidency’s public positioning has laid the groundwork for a heavy-handed law enforcement response. If the police or State Security Services (SSS) act on the administration’s cues, VDM could face charges under the revised Cybercrimes Act, which penalizes the intentional transmission of data deemed to be calculated to insult, intimidate, or cause public breakdown of order.
| The Presidency’s Legal Ground | VeryDarkMan’s Defense Strategy |
| Section 24 (Cybercrimes Act): Focuses on the deliberate transmission of manipulated media (deepfakes) targeting public officers to incite civil unrest. | Freedom of Expression: Grounded in Section 39 of the Nigerian Constitution, protecting the right to hold opinions and critique public policy. |
| The 2027 Election Narrative: Abuja views the early anti-Tinubu media wave as a coordinated, premature campaign to destabilize the political landscape. | Whistleblower Persona: VDM frames his platform as a public safety valve, channeling the organic, widespread anger over subsidy removals and currency floatation. |
A High-Stakes Game of Political Chicken
By taking the fight straight to Bayo Onanuga, VeryDarkMan is intentionally testing the limits of the administration’s tolerance. For the presidency, failing to arrest the influencer after demanding his prosecution risks making the administration look weak or toothless in the face of open defiance.
Conversely, moving forward with an arrest risks turning VDM into a political martyr, potentially triggering a repeat of the massive #FREEVDM protests that shook online spaces in 2025.
As civil rights groups watch the standoff intensify, the immediate future of the activist hangs in the balance. VDM closed his broadcast with a clear warning to the state apparatus: he has already packed his bags for cell detention before, and he is entirely prepared to do it again to defend his right to speak.
VeryDarkMan sends a very strong message to the spokesperson to President Tinubu, Mr Bayo Onanuga🙆🏼♂️ pic.twitter.com/gm3k6b6N91
— Oyindamola🙄 (@dammiedammie35) May 27, 2026
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