A lawyer has asked the Nigerian Presidency to sanction Special Adviser Bayo Onanuga for linking a fabricated audio recording of President Bola Tinubu to social-media influencer Martins Vincent Otse [1].
The dispute highlights the growing tension between government officials and digital influencers in Nigeria, where accusations of misinformation can lead to calls for official prosecution or administrative discipline.
On May 27, 2026 [1], the unnamed lawyer said that the Presidency should sanction Bayo Onanuga for linking a fabricated audio of President Tinubu to VeryDarkMan [1]. The lawyer alleged that Onanuga spread falsehoods and made inflammatory comments by connecting the fake recording to the influencer, which defamed both the president and Otse [1].
Bayo Onanuga, the Special Adviser to the President, has taken a different position. Onanuga said that VDM is spreading lies and must be prosecuted for the fake audio [2]. This stance aligns with reports that the Presidency considers the audio manipulated and not authentic [3].
Martins Vincent Otse, known online as VeryDarkMan, has responded to the accusations. Otse said he is ready for a legal battle [2].
The conflict centers on a post made on the social-media platform X on May 27, 2026 [1]. While the Presidency maintains the audio is a fabrication, the legal challenge brought by the lawyer suggests that the act of attributing that fabrication to a specific individual without proof is a sanctionable offense [1].
“The Presidency should sanction Bayo Onanuga for maliciously linking a fabricated audio of President Tinubu to VeryDarkMan.”
This clash underscores the volatility of the Nigerian digital landscape, where the government's efforts to combat 'fake news' often collide with accusations of state-sponsored defamation. By targeting a high-ranking Special Adviser, the legal challenge seeks to establish a precedent that government spokespeople must be held to the same evidentiary standards as private citizens when naming individuals in disinformation campaigns.
