The All Progressives Congress (APC) has given social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), seven days to apologise for what it called disparaging remarks against Senate President Godswill Akpabio.
In a viral video, VeryDarkMan criticised Akpabio, saying that despite the ongoing insecurity across the country, the Senate President should not have travelled to Rome. He argued that Akpabio should instead have been visiting states like Benue, Plateau, Kwara, Ogun, and Enugu to console families affected by violence.
VeryDarkMan further stated that Akpabio lacked the moral right to attend the Pope’s funeral while communities back home were suffering from deadly attacks.
In response, the South-South Zonal chapter of the APC issued a statement on Sunday, demanding that VeryDarkMan apologise to the Senate President within a week.
The party condemned VeryDarkMan’s comments, accusing him of consistently engaging in blackmail, slander, and character assassination under the guise of advocating for the masses.
The warning was contained in a statement released in Abuja by Blessing Agbomhere, the Zonal Organising Secretary of the South-South APC.
“The unwarranted verbal attack on the number three citizen of Nigeria, who did not send himself to Rome but was duly nominated by the President to lead a delegation to represent Nigeria — what exactly is wrong with that?
“Upon his return from France and the UK, Tinubu met with the security chiefs, and during the meeting, he gave them marching orders to ensure that a different approach is deployed in the fight against insecurity. Does this sound like a man who is not serious about protecting the lives and property of Nigerians?”
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The South-South APC has stated that the “complex security challenges facing the country cannot simply be dismissed with a wave of the hand.”
SaharaReporters had earlier reported that Senate President Godswill Akpabio would lead a high-level Nigerian delegation to attend the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican City on Saturday.
This information was confirmed in a statement released on Friday by Bayo Onanuga, Special Adviser on Information and Strategy to President Bola Tinubu.
The delegation included five members: Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, Ambassador Bianca Odumegwu Ojukwu; President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Nigeria, Archbishop Lucius Iwejuru Ugorji; Archbishop of Sokoto Diocese, Matthew Hassan Kukah; and Archbishop of Abuja Diocese, Ignatius Ayua Kaigama.
Onanuga stated, “The delegation will formally deliver a letter conveying President Tinubu’s sympathy and condolences on Pope Francis’ passing to the Acting Head of the Vatican.”
He recalled that President Tinubu had earlier joined the global Christian community in mourning the pontiff’s death, calling him “a humble servant of God, a tireless champion of the poor, and a guiding light for millions.”
Pope Francis passed away on April 21, 2025, at the age of 88, just one day after leading the Easter Sunday celebrations at St. Peter’s Basilica.
In his tribute, Tinubu remarked that the timing of the Pope’s death, coming right after the celebration of Christ’s resurrection, “symbolises a sacred return to his Maker and brings renewed hope to Christians around the world.”#APC
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