The Presidency has called for legal action against social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over an alleged AI-generated audio clip falsely linked to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The controversy followed the circulation of a manipulated video online containing a fake audio allegedly mimicking the President’s voice.
Presidency Reacts To Viral AI Audio
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, condemned the incident in a post shared on X.
According to him, the circulation of the clip amounted to a serious abuse of social media platforms.
“This VDM needs to face the weight of the law for being the conveyor and disseminator of a fake audio of President Tinubu,” Onanuga wrote.
The presidential aide accused the activist of spreading false content capable of misleading members of the public.
How The Controversy Started
Reports indicated that the manipulated clip originated from an earlier Instagram video shared by VDM on May 25, 2026.
In the original video, the activist reportedly reacted to comments about his necklace while also playing an old campaign clip of President Tinubu discussing electricity issues.
However, an unidentified individual later edited the footage and inserted an AI-generated voice designed to sound like the President.
The doctored version falsely suggested that Tinubu made controversial political comments regarding the 2027 election, insecurity and opposition figures.
Fact-Checkers Debunk Viral Audio
Several media organisations and fact-checking platforms reportedly confirmed that the viral audio was manipulated using artificial intelligence tools.
The reports stated that the controversial statements were absent from VDM’s original upload.
The fake audio allegedly contained claims about Tinubu remaining in office beyond opposition efforts, references to insecurity in parts of the country and comments involving former presidential candidate Peter Obi.
VDM’s Lawyers Deny Involvement
VDM’s legal representatives, Deji Adeyanju & Partners, denied allegations linking their client to the fabricated audio.
The legal team accused the Presidency of allegedly reacting without proper verification and maintained that the activist neither created nor distributed the manipulated version.
The controversy has since triggered debates online about misinformation, political propaganda and the growing use of AI-generated deepfakes in Nigeria’s digital space ahead of the 2027 elections.
As of Wednesday, no official criminal charge had been publicly filed against the activist.
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. https://t.co/IGEzUvOZJG
— Bayo Onanuga, OON, CON (@aonanuga1956) May 27, 2026