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Social media activist VeryDarkMan has declared that he does not consider any Nigerian celebrity bigger than him.
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He made the claim while reacting to sexual assault allegations involving dancer and entertainer Poco Lee.
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VDM said he measures greatness by impact and the number of people who have benefited from a public figure, rather than wealth or fame.
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He questioned parts of the allegations against Poco Lee, saying he was not declaring him innocent but did not believe some of the claims being circulated online added up.
August 19, (THEWILL) — Popular Nigerian social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, better known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has claimed that no Nigerian celebrity is bigger than him.
VDM made the statement while reacting to allegations involving dancer and entertainer Poco Lee. The claims circulating online include an unconfirmed report that Poco Lee was arrested in the UK over an alleged rape, as well as sexual assault allegations made by US-based Nigerian rapper Ms Jorji.
While discussing the controversy, VDM said Nigerians are often quick to believe negative stories about public figures because of their interest in gossip.
“This is somebody’s life. It can easily be destroyed if it’s not true,” he said.
He questioned parts of Ms Jorji’s account and urged people not to treat claims shared on social media as facts without evidence.
VDM stressed that he was not declaring Poco Lee innocent but said he would not allow what he described as a potentially false narrative to go unchallenged.
“Until Poco Lee speaks out, I won’t allow any agenda or narrative to thrive, especially when it could be a calculated attempt to ruin or cancel him. I’m not saying Poco Lee is innocent, but the things this lady is saying about Poco Lee does not make sense,” he said.
He also clarified that his comments were not motivated by a personal relationship with Poco Lee.
“I’m not friends with Poco Lee,” VDM said.
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VDM Explains His Definition of Fame
It was while making this point that VDM turned to his own influence and declared that he did not consider any Nigerian celebrity bigger than him.
“I swear to God, for the whole Nigeria, I don’t see a celebrity that’s bigger than me. I keep saying it one million times. Call anybody’s name.”
VDM explained that he does not measure a celebrity’s success by money, cars or houses.
“Because when you think about bigger, una dey look money, dey look car, dey look house. Those are not what I… those are not my own balance. That’s not what I look as big.”
According to him, the real measure of a public figure’s influence is the number of people whose lives have been affected by their work.
“I want to know who don impact. How many people don benefit from you? How many don talk say ‘na because of this guy this thing happen’. I’m not their mate. We are not on the same level.”
VDM said his position is based on the impact he believes his advocacy work has had on Nigerians.
He has built a large following through videos addressing social issues, celebrities, alleged wrongdoing and matters of public accountability.
His outspoken approach has also made him a controversial figure, with supporters praising his activism while critics have questioned his methods and some of his claims.
The Poco Lee controversy is the latest celebrity-related issue to draw VDM’s attention, while his claim about his position among Nigerian celebrities has also sparked reactions online.
Evi-Ben Ezaga is an entertainment and society writer with a passion for stories that explore culture, people, and the stories shaping society today.
