Fresh controversy has erupted online after the Presidency reacted strongly to a viral audio allegedly linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which was shared by controversial social media critic Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), Peak Newspaper reports.
The audio, which circulated widely across different social media platforms, allegedly captured a voice sounding like President Tinubu saying that insecurity in Nigeria would continue because Nigerians did not vote for him during the 2023 presidential election. The recording immediately sparked heated debates online, with many Nigerians questioning its authenticity while others criticized the message contained in it.
Reacting to the development on Wednesday, presidential media aide Bayo Onanuga dismissed the audio as completely fake and accused VeryDarkMan of deliberately spreading false information capable of misleading the public and causing tension in the country.
In a strongly worded statement posted on his official X handle, Onanuga warned that the social media activist would face legal consequences for allegedly distributing manipulated content involving the President.
According to him:
“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.”
The Presidency’s reaction has since generated massive reactions online, with supporters of the government insisting that fake AI-generated content and misinformation must be tackled seriously, especially when it concerns the President and national security matters.
However, many supporters of VeryDarkMan have defended him, arguing that social media critics should not be intimidated for discussing trending issues online. Others also called on authorities to properly investigate the source of the audio before making arrests or filing charges.
The incident has further reignited conversations about the growing use of artificial intelligence, voice cloning technology and misinformation on social media, as fake audios and edited videos continue to spread rapidly across the internet.
As of the time of filing this report, VeryDarkMan had not officially responded to Bayo Onanuga’s statement or the threat of possible legal action from the Presidency.
The controversy continues to trend heavily across Nigerian social media space, with many waiting to see whether the government will proceed with legal action against the outspoken activist.
