Social media influencer and activist, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has accused the Presidency of wrongly associating him with a purportedly doctored audio recording linked to President Bola Tinubu.
In a statement released by his lawyers, Deji Adeyanju & Partners, VDM criticised comments made by presidential spokesman Bayo Onanuga over the controversial audio circulating online.
The Presidency had earlier accused VDM of sharing a manipulated recording allegedly containing remarks by Tinubu on insecurity, the 2027 elections, and political opponents.
In the video linked to the audio, VDM was alleged to have introduced the clip by urging Nigerians to listen carefully before deciding whether to support Tinubu’s re-election bid in 2027.
The recording, which has since generated widespread reactions online, allegedly featured a voice said to be Tinubu’s making controversial comments about insecurity in the South-East, foreign loans, and political power.
Reacting in a post on X, Onanuga described the clip as fake and called for legal action against those responsible for circulating it.
“This VDM needs to face the weight of the law for being the conveyor and disseminator of a fake audio of President Tinubu. This is a clear case of an egregious abuse of the social media platform,” Onanuga wrote.
However, VDM’s legal team denied any involvement in creating or distributing the audio.
“The attention of our client has been drawn to the statement made by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Mr. Bayo Onanuga, concerning a doctored audio currently circulating online and falsely attributed to our client,” the statement signed by lawyer Deji Adeyanju read.
The lawyers maintained that a review of VDM’s verified social media accounts would have shown that he neither created nor shared the recording.
“A simple verification of our client’s verified social media platforms would have confirmed that he neither made nor shared the said audio,” the statement added.
The legal team also questioned why the Presidency allegedly commented publicly on the matter without first verifying the claims.
According to the lawyers, the incident reinforced concerns that certain powerful individuals were attempting to silence or discredit VDM because of his outspoken views on national issues.
They further called on security agencies to investigate the origin of the audio and prosecute those responsible for circulating it.
“We accordingly call on the relevant security agencies to investigate the source and circulation of the doctored audio and ensure that those responsible are identified and dealt with in accordance with the law,” the statement said.
