VDM Calls Onanuga 'Stupid' After Presidency Threatens Arrest Over Fake Tinubu Audio

VDM Calls Onanuga 'Stupid' After Presidency Threatens Arrest Over Fake Tinubu Audio

Nigeria's loudest social media feud of the week started with an AI-generated voice clip and ended with VeryDarkMan daring the government to arrest him.

What Happened

A viral audio clip began circulating on X and WhatsApp, featuring a voice mimicking President Tinubu saying he would make insecurity "affect only the South East" because Nigerians did not vote for him. The audio also allegedly included statements about borrowing from the World Bank and refusing to stop insecurity because it helped raise election funds.

An X user accused VDM of sharing the clip in one of his videos. Presidential aide Bayo Onanuga responded fast and hard.

"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," Onanuga posted on his verified X account on May 27, 2026.

VDM Did Not Hold Back

VDM was in China at the time, reportedly negotiating a power plant deal for Nigeria. He responded from there in a video posted to Instagram.

"President spokesman Bayo, you are a very stupid old man. I'm not trying to insult you, but look at the meaning of stupid. That's what you represent."

He went further, saying Onanuga was "daft" and accusing the entire Tinubu administration of not using their brains. Then he turned the whole argument around.

"Bandits went into a school in Oyo State. They took three teachers, carried students. One teacher was beheaded. Bayo Onanuga, where is your comment on that? Today is Children's Day. Those children are still in an unknown location."

That pivot hit harder than any insult on social media.

The Plot Twist

A blogger called Crown Prince, who circulated one version of the clip, publicly apologised and admitted to spreading misinformation. PIDOM Nigeria pushed back against Onanuga on X, telling him to "do your homework" and verify facts before threatening people. They claimed the version being blamed on VDM had been manipulated with AI, and that his original video was different.

In other words: the Presidency may have threatened to prosecute a man for something he did not actually do.

Nigerian Twitter's Reaction

The response was loud. The top comments were not defending the Presidency. Nigerians were asking why the government had zero urgency about kidnapped schoolchildren but maximum urgency about a social media influencer posting criticism.

As of May 29, 2026, no formal arrest or legal filing has been confirmed. VDM says he is coming back to Nigeria and dares them to try.