The Presidency on Wednesday moved to take legal action against social media commentator Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), over an alleged AI-generated audio clip linked to President Bola Tinubu.
The controversy follows a viral video in which VDM reportedly played the audio to his audience, asking them to judge its authenticity.
Special Adviser to the President on Information and Strategy, Bayo Onanuga, condemned the development in a post on his verified X account, describing it as the spread of fake and damaging content.
“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,” he wrote.
The audio, said to bear signs of artificial intelligence voice cloning, allegedly mimicked President Tinubu while making controversial remarks on insecurity in the South-East, political dealings ahead of the 2027 elections, and World Bank loans.
Some of the claims in the recording suggested that insecurity in the South-East was deliberate, that Tinubu had pressured Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi to step down in 2022, and that public funds from international loans were being used for election-related purposes.
In his video, VDM encouraged viewers to listen closely and form their own conclusions.
“You people watch it, see this next video I’m about to play. After you people watch it, we’ll come decide whether na for shrine them cook una mind. All the people wey wan support Bola Ahmed Tinubu for 2027, you go come know whether they don cook your mind.”
After the clip, he added: “This man does not have anything to offer. Come 2027, any other option is welcome, but for me, myself and I, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu cannot offer us anything anymore. So he should go.”
The Presidency’s response followed a post shared by X user Aneex, who argued that some individuals were being misled into believing the authenticity of the recording, describing it as propaganda aimed at emotional manipulation.
However, independent checks reportedly indicate that the audio was not directly published by VDM in its original form.
The incident adds to growing anxiety over the misuse of artificial intelligence to generate deepfake political content, especially as the 2027 general elections approach.
Earlier, the Coalition for Ethical Technology and Democratic Integrity warned that AI-generated blackmail and manipulated media could threaten democratic stability if not urgently regulated.
Similarly, the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria had previously cautioned the public against a fake AI-generated advertisement using President Tinubu’s image to promote fraudulent investment schemes.
Under Nigeria’s Cybercrime (Prohibition, Prevention) Act 2015, amended in 2024, the creation and circulation of false digital content intended to damage reputation or mislead the public is a criminal offence punishable by law.