Presidency Seeks Action Against VeryDarkMan Over Alleged Fake Tinubu Audio
Nigeria’s Presidency has called for legal action against social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), following the circulation of an audio clip alleged to have falsely portrayed the voice of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The controversy centres on an audio recording that gained traction online and was said to contain remarks on insecurity in Nigeria’s South-East, World Bank borrowing, and political calculations ahead of the 2027 general elections.
Authorities claimed the recording was manipulated with artificial intelligence (AI) technology to imitate the President’s voice and spread misleading information.
Reacting to the development, the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, criticised the circulation of the recording, describing it as a dangerous misuse of social media capable of confusing the public and stirring misinformation.
According to him, individuals linked to the spread of false content must be held accountable.
However, lawyers representing VDM, Deji Adeyanju & Partners, rejected accusations directed at their client.
The legal team argued that the Presidency acted without thoroughly tracing the origin of the audio, insisting that VeryDarkMan neither created nor initially distributed the clip.
The incident has again drawn attention to growing worries over the misuse of AI-generated content in Nigeria, especially as political conversations intensify ahead of future elections.
Experts have repeatedly warned that manipulated digital materials, if unchecked, could deepen public distrust and worsen the spread of false narratives in an already heated political climate.
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