By Victor Itodo Abuh
CONTROVERSIAL social media commentator, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has triggered widespread reactions online after posting a video on his official Facebook page on Tuesday morning in which he alleged that Senate President Godswill Akpabio was rushed abroad for medical treatment following a reported collapse.
In the 5 minutes, 50 seconds video, VeryDarkMan claimed that Akpabio, Nigeria’s third highest ranking public official, was flown to London on a private jet after suffering a medical emergency. He used the allegation to criticise Nigeria’s political leadership, accusing top government officials of neglecting the country’s healthcare system while seeking treatment overseas.
Although no official statement has been issued by the Senate or the presidency confirming the Senate President’s health status as of the time of filing this report, the video continues to gain traction across social media platforms.
In the video, VeryDarkMan questioned why a senior government official would allegedly be taken abroad for treatment, arguing that it reflected a lack of confidence in Nigeria’s healthcare system by those in power.
“The number three man in Nigeria collapsed, and they could not take him to any hospital in Nigeria,” he said. “They rushed him to London. These are the same people who have the power to fix our medical system but have refused to do so.”
He further accused political leaders of prioritising personal comfort over public welfare, stating that public funds were being used to support foreign medical tourism while ordinary Nigerians struggled with poor healthcare facilities.
VeryDarkMan also linked his criticism to broader governance issues, including taxation, infrastructure decay and insecurity, arguing that citizens were being unfairly burdened despite the lack of basic services.
“Roads are bad. Healthcare is poor. Public schools are failing. Many communities don’t even have clean water,” he said, while questioning the justification for new or increased taxes.
However, the video also contained highly inflammatory and threatening remarks, including repeated statements suggesting he would publicly mock the Senate President if he died. These comments have drawn condemnation from many social media users, who described them as excessive, unethical and potentially dangerous, even as others echoed his criticism of Nigeria’s healthcare system and political elite.
By the end of the video, the activist paradoxically urged the Senate President to stay alive, saying: “Peace and love… don’t die,” while reiterating earlier threats of ridicule if the alleged illness proved fatal.
The video has nonetheless reignited public debate over medical tourism by Nigerian leaders, the state of public healthcare and the tone of political activism on social media, particularly the growing use of extreme language to drive accountability conversations.
