The Presidency has warned that it may take legal action against social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, over a viral video said to contain an AI-generated audio clip falsely attributed to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
The development was disclosed on Wednesday by the Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, who accused the influencer of circulating manipulated content capable of misleading the public.
Onanuga made the statement in response to a video shared by VeryDarkMan, in which an audio recording mimicking the voice of President Bola Tinubu allegedly made controversial remarks on insecurity in the South-East, political negotiations ahead of the 2027 elections, and the use of international loans.
According to the Presidency, the recording shows clear signs of AI voice cloning and contains fabricated statements, including claims that insecurity in parts of the country was intentional and that foreign loans were being diverted for electoral purposes.
Reacting to the video, Onanuga wrote on social media that the influencer should face consequences for spreading false material.
He stated: “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.”
In the video, VeryDarkMan encouraged viewers to judge the content for themselves after playing the recording. He said in a mix of Pidgin and English: “You people watch it… after you watch, we go decide whether na shrine dem cook your mind.”
After airing the clip, he also criticized the President’s performance, adding: “This man does not have anything to offer… for me, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot offer us anything anymore.”
The Presidency maintained that the audio is part of a growing wave of AI-generated misinformation targeting public officials, warning that such content poses risks to national stability and public trust.
It further noted that Nigeria’s Cybercrime Act provides for penalties against the creation and distribution of false digital communications intended to damage reputations or mislead the public.
Officials also referenced previous warnings by regulatory agencies about AI-generated political content and online scams impersonating government figures.
