The Presidency on May 27, 2026, threatened legal action against social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over the circulation of an alleged fake audio falsely attributed to President Bola Tinubu.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, issued the warning on Wednesday through his verified X account, accusing VDM of spreading misleading content capable of deceiving the public.
The controversy followed a viral video in which VDM played an audio recording allegedly mimicking Tinubu’s voice and urged his followers to decide whether it was authentic.
Reacting to the development, Onanuga wrote, “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 audio contained several controversial claims allegedly made by a voice resembling that of Tinubu, including statements about insecurity in the South-East, the 2027 election, and World Bank loans.
In the video shared online, VDM addressed his followers in a mix of English and Pidgin, urging them to listen carefully before forming opinions about the President ahead of the 2027 elections.
After playing the audio, the commentator criticised Tinubu’s leadership, saying he no longer believed the President had anything to offer Nigerians and insisting that voters should consider alternative options in 2027.
Onanuga’s reaction came after an X user identified as Aneex criticised the circulation of the clip, describing it as propaganda aimed at manipulating public emotions.
However, checks later showed that the controversial audio was not directly hosted on VDM’s original video posts.
The incident has further raised concerns over the spread of digitally manipulated content targeting public officials ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Recently, the Coalition for Ethical Technology and Democratic Integrity urged the Federal Government and security agencies to criminalise digitally altered blackmail materials, warning that deepfake content could undermine national security and damage the credibility of future elections.
The Federal Government had also earlier cautioned Nigerians against a fake advertisement using Tinubu’s image and likeness to promote a fraudulent investment scheme on Facebook.
Under Nigeria’s Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2015, as amended in 2024, the creation and distribution of false digital communications intended to damage reputations or cause public harm remain punishable offences, with penalties that may include imprisonment.