In the hours following Davido’s big wedding event, many Nigerians were sending in their best wishes for the music star. However, Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, took to Instagram to call out popular Nollywood actress, Iyabo Ojo. His video was in response to a post Iyabo Ojo made on June 25th, 2024, the day of Davido’s wedding.
In the video, Iyabo Ojo lamented that she would not be able to attend the actual ceremony due to the heavy downpour of rain and traffic jam. Ojo went on to say that she would only attend the after-party. VDM, who was one of the influencers who attended Davido’s wedding publicly called Ojo out stating that she simply was not invited to the actual ceremony. He also called her “Auntie Ode” (Ode is the Yoruba word for fool).
VDM said:
“Did they invite you for the main party? What does your invite say? Look at what your invite says. Your invite is for 5:00 p.m. ‘and kindly ensure that you bring this invitation with you for guaranteed entry. Please note that admission will not be granted before the specified time.’ So why you con dey make am seem as if you were held in traffic? You left your house around 4:30 p.m. so that you would be there by five. They did not give you the main invite. People who had the main invite where there by 10.”
Iyabo Ojo’s boyfriend, music executive, Paul O, responded to VDM saying:
“Pray for this guy! Person wey swear for this guy don die!!! It’s a pity he just has to live in this condition for the rest of his miserable life!!! You come for a wedding to check which invite someone has??? Is that not sickness??? I believe you see Iyabo in your dreams every night and day. If you say you love your mom? I believe your mum and Iyabo may be in the same age!!! Respect that.”
In response to VeryDarkMan’s accusations, Iyabo Ojo posted evidence to back up her claim that she was invited to Davido’s wedding. She also posted a screenshot of a WhatsApp chat of Davido’s elder sister reaching out to invite her to the wedding as well as videos of her at the wedding.
Responding to Paul O, VeryDarkMan said:
“Paul O, with all due respect, it is just a warning I want to give you, you understand? This thing that is happening does not concern you… If you put your mouth for this thing again I will rubbish you on this internet.”
Paul O took to his Instagram story to issue an ultimatum to Davido, Tunde Ednut, Cubana Chief-Priest, Seun Kuti, and Poco Lee, asking them to choose between him or VDM.
With things heating up, Iyabo Ojo’s daughter, Priscilla Ojo jumped into the fray. She posted the invite extended to her and posted to her Instagram:
“If you know you didn’t sleep in prison this year, raise your hands in the comment section.”
Several Nigerians also called out VDM, claiming that he only attended the wedding as a “glorified bodyguard” for popular footballer Victor Osimhen.
Business mogul, Obi Cubana, attempting to act as the voice of reason also called out blogs for needlessly promoting VDM.
In a post to his Instagram story, he said:
“Dear blogs, please stop giving visibility to youth insulting elders! You enable them! We can’t continue to enable rubbish!!! Stop, pls!”
Another influencer, Jidex, also called out VDM saying Iyabo Ojo is not his mate and he ought to give her her respect.
Probably sensing the turn of public opinion against him, VeryDarkMan turns back to his fast “activism.” He refers to Obi Cubana’s earlier comments about blogs giving him visibility while playing the victim and claiming the elite and billionaires want to shut him up.
He said:
“Youths are crying daily and none of these billionaires will ever speak up for the poor masses. The only thing they do is to spray money up and down to buy people’s conscience.”
Portable and Only1Kesh also called out VDM for disrespecting Obi Cubana. Veteran music producer, Samklef also called out VDM for “gaslighting the poor against the rich.” He wrote in an Instagram post:
“My main annoyance right now is insulting OBI CUBANA… Bragging about not respecting people for their achievements is 100% jealousy and hypocrisy. Trying to fool Nigerian youths and gaslighting the poor against the rich, not just that. Trying to make it a Northern and Southern issue or trying to add Nnamdi Kanu is not going to work for you this time. Joblessness is indeed a disease.”
At this point, VeryDarkMan has realized that he has gone a tad too far and so, he is trying to redirect people’s attention away from his fight with Iyabo Ojo and back to his activist ways – or show of it. He started talking about how the people in government don’t listen.
In a response to Priscilla Ojo calling him an ex-convict earlier, VeryDarkMan said he is not an ex-convict as he has never been found guilty of any crime. He also posted a screenshot of his conversation with Tunde Ednut where Ednut advised him to apologize to Obi Cubana and he responded:
“Big T, I will rather die. I will lose my legs before I do that.”
Not long after, VeryDarkMan came out to say he would apologize to Iyabo Ojo if anyone could provide evidence of where he insulted Iyabo Ojo or called her a failed actress.
In response, Iyabo Ojo posted a compilation of VeryDarkMan’s supposed insults directed at her. VDM responded that while he did say all of those things you never mentioned her name. A very lazy defence in my opinion.
Iyabo Ojo later took to Instagram Live, calling VeryDarkMan a manipulator.
She said:
“I’ve watched a lot of your videos and I just wonder how people fall prey to your (activism). I heard you called your mother a failure. Your mother has to be a failure . Your mother has to be a serious failure . Thank God for Instagram, and the likes of Tunde Ednut and Davido that are encouraging you because if not, your life would have been a sorry case, and it is still a sorry case. Come on, your mother failed, honestly.”
On June 30, 2024, VeryDarkMan was re-arrested by the Nigeria Police Force. He was granted bail shortly after his arrest.
Iyabo Ojo got on Instagram Live, saying:
“VeryDarkMan, if you want to be an activist, you should face it and stop misleading and manipulating people. You keep saying the rich is oppressing the poor, but every opportunity you have to chill with the rich you always fly down to Lagos, and you are very happy to chill with said rich.”
Doubling down on the drama, VeryDarkMan calls Iyabo Ojo a fool. He said that Iyabo Ojo has yet to provide him with evidence of where he mentioned her name or called her a failed actress.
Now, VeryDarkMan may not have said it outright, but he implied it and that is almost as good as saying it.
In a video posted earlier yesterday, VeryDarkMan said Iyabo Ojo is still dragging with Gen Z. He also made some very vulgar statements about her genitalia, while trying to redirect the issue to the “Justice for Mohbad” movement.
What I think about the Iyabo Ojo vs VeryDarkMan drama
It is needless.
At this point, I think Iyabo Ojo should immediately stop dignifying VeryDarkMan with responses. It is obvious that he has a personal vendetta against her and will take any excuse to insult her. Also, they are neither of the same class nor age group. I really think Iyabo Ojo is belittling herself by responding to VeryDarkMan.
See how star actress Genevieve Nnaji completely ignored the guy (I can’t remember his name now) who made delirious comments about her age. Iyabo Ojo should be like that.
VeryDarkMan understands going after big celebrities gives him more popularity – that’s why he doesn’t hesitate to milk every opportunity he gets. Admittedly, VeryDarkMan helped bring attention to some good causes in the beginning but I feel he has since lost track of that and listening to him these days makes you wonder what went wrong.
If only he had stuck to his old brand.
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Opinions expressed in this article are solely the writer’s.
About the writer:
Azeezat Adeniji is an English Language student from Nigeria. She enjoys reading, writing and trying new recipes.
