Controversial social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has ended weeks of speculation over his rumored fallout with Afrobeats superstar Davido, revealing for the first time what he says drove a wedge between them.
In a video that has since gone viral, the outspoken commentator alleged that his once-tight relationship with the “Timeless” crooner began to cool after he rejected a N50 million offer from Davido and his camp to campaign for the singer’s uncle, Osun State Governor Ademola Adeleke, during his 2022 governorship bid.
Speaking in characteristically blunt pidgin English, VDM said he was invited to meet the governor with the understanding that he would walk away with the sum for throwing his weight behind the campaign, an offer he insists he turned down without hesitation, despite what he described as days of persuasion from Davido’s camp.
“Davido and his crew offered me money when they call me say make I come meet the uncle governor, say I go collect N50 million,” VDM said. “Ask wetin I tell them. A lot of people will be happy, you no wetin be N50 million? I bounce am. Ask them.”
According to the activist, that decision marked a turning point in his relationship with the singer, even though there was no public falling-out at the time. He said the friendship simply began to fade from that point, with the two men drifting apart gradually rather than through any dramatic confrontation.
VDM’s disclosure comes amid mounting online chatter about the state of his relationship with Davido, with fans and critics alike trading theories for weeks over what exactly went wrong between the pair, who had once been publicly close, with Davido even rallying support for VDM’s release when he was controversially detained by the EFCC in May 2025.
Addressing critics who accused him of biting the hand that once fed him, VDM insisted the narrative that he owed his public profile to Davido’s generosity was false, arguing that people pushing that line “no know” the full story behind their relationship.
He went on to reveal that the last direct exchange between him and Davido had nothing to do with the campaign fallout but centered on a pledge the singer made to a young Ghanaian fan.
VDM recalled that Davido had promised the fan $5,000 online but appeared to forget about it, a delay that drew backlash toward VDM himself, with critics accusing him of exploiting the story for clout.
“The last time me and Davido even talk na when that issue of that boy wey he said he go give 5,000 dollars for Ghana,” VDM explained. “I think he forgot, and people were insulting me… So, I sent to him in his DM, how far, make them pay this boy because people were insulting me thinking that we used the thing for clout. From there they paid the guy.”
Neither Davido nor his camp had responded publicly to VDM’s latest claims as of press time. The singer’s uncle, Governor Adeleke, has also not commented on the alleged N50 million offer.
The revelations mark the second time in as many months that VDM’s dealings with the Davido camp have made headlines after he previously denied, following backlash online, ever receiving financial sponsorship from the singer, including claims that Davido had paid for his flight and hotel during a Lagos visit.
WHAT YOU SHOULD KNOW
VeryDarkMan’s fallout with Davido reportedly began not from a public feud, but from a quiet refusal: he turned down a N50 million offer to campaign for Governor Ademola Adeleke, Davido’s uncle, and their bond simply faded from there.
VDM insists his integrity, not betrayal, caused the rift he chose principle over payout, and the drift between him and Davido was gradual, not dramatic.
