The controversy surrounding social media critic Martins Vincent Otse (VeryDarkMan / VDM) and a viral video featuring President Bola Ahmed Tinubu involves a heavily manipulated, AI-generated voice clone. The Presidency has demanded legal action against VDM, while VDM’s legal team asserts that the critic’s original video was hijacked and doctored by third parties. [1, 2, 3, 4, 5]
The AI-Generated Video and Claims
The controversy exploded online after a video circulated featuring an AI-cloned voice mimicking President Tinubu. [1, 2]
- The Content: The fake audio featured the “President” making highly sensitive remarks regarding security issues in the South-East, opposition leader Peter Obi, World Bank loans, and the 2027 elections.
- The Manipulation: According to investigative breakdowns, VDM originally posted a video critical of the government. An unknown third party took VDM’s video, overlaid it with the fabricated, AI-generated voice of Tinubu, and distributed it to make it appear as though VDM was directly circulating the leaked audio. [1, 2]
The Presidency’s Stance
On May 27, 2026, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, released a statement strongly condemning the video. [1, 2]
- Onanuga accused VDM of being the “conveyor and disseminator of a fake audio”.
- The Presidency labeled the incident an “egregious abuse of the social media platform” and demanded that VDM face the full weight of the law for spreading dangerous misinformation
