The South-South Zonal leadership of the All Progressives Congress (APC) has issued a stern seven-day ultimatum to popular social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, demanding a public apology for what they described as disrespectful remarks against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.

The warning was delivered through a statement on Sunday by Blessing Agbomhere, the APC’s South-South Zonal Organizing Secretary, who cautioned VeryDarkMan to distinguish between activism and defamation, urging him to cease further attacks on the former governor of Akwa Ibom State.

The development follows a viral video where VeryDarkMan criticized Akpabio’s participation in the federal government’s delegation to the Vatican for the funeral of Pope Francis. In the video, which lasted about three minutes, the influencer described Akpabio’s trip as “shameful,” arguing that the Senate President should have instead visited Nigerian states recently affected by violent attacks, such as Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun, and Enugu.

Responding to the video, Agbomhere accused VeryDarkMan of maligning Akpabio under the guise of activism, stating, “VeryDarkMan is becoming notorious for blackmail, slander, and character assassination while pretending to be an advocate for the masses. The unwarranted verbal attack on the number three citizen of Nigeria, who did not nominate himself but was selected by the President to represent Nigeria, is unacceptable. What exactly is wrong with that?”

Agbomhere defended Akpabio’s selection, emphasizing that his faith, reputation, and family values made him a fitting representative. He said, “Being a devout Catholic and a man of unblemished character, President Tinubu found in Akpabio a worthy ambassador for such an important occasion as the Pope’s funeral. What is wrong with that?”

Stressing the seriousness of the matter, Agbomhere declared, “With this statement, I am issuing VeryDarkMan a one-week ultimatum to tender an unreserved public apology to the Senate President for his slanderous comments and to desist from further attempts to tarnish the integrity of President Bola Tinubu’s administration before the international community.”

The APC chieftain further urged Nigerians to disregard what he termed VeryDarkMan’s “uninformed ranting,” affirming that the government is actively tackling the country’s security challenges, many of which were inherited from past administrations.

Highlighting President Tinubu’s efforts, Agbomhere noted, “Upon returning from France and the UK, Tinubu convened a meeting with security chiefs, giving them fresh directives to intensify the fight against insecurity. Does this sound like a leader who is unserious about safeguarding Nigerians?”

He concluded by reminding citizens that resolving Nigeria’s complex security issues requires time and sustained efforts, stating, “The deep-rooted security problems in the country cannot be eliminated overnight. The Tinubu-led administration remains fully committed to restoring peace and protecting the lives and property of all Nigerians."