Son Of A Nobody” — VeryDarkMan Launches Fresh Attack On Falana Over NBA Invitation

Controversial social media activist Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has responded to criticism from human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, over his invitation to speak at the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) annual conference.

Falana had criticised the NBA’s decision to invite Otse as a speaker, arguing that individuals addressing lawyers at specialised sessions should possess relevant professional expertise or experience in the subjects being discussed.

The senior lawyer said the NBA had, in the past, invited individuals with established professional records who could engage lawyers intellectually and share valuable knowledge.

“In those days, the NBA brought individuals who had paid their dues, who were coming to engage lawyers intellectually. We wanted to learn from them, and so none of our conferences was a circus show in the past,” Falana said.

He maintained that discussions on national security should involve individuals with demonstrable knowledge and experience in the field.

However, reacting in a video posted on his social media page on Friday, VeryDarkMan said Falana’s comments had reinforced his belief that his invitation was being opposed because of his background and social status.

Otse described the controversy as a form of “classism”, arguing that some people were uncomfortable with his invitation because he was not from the elite class typically associated with the conference.

He said:

“The problem these people have is that the son of a nobody was invited to come and speak where elites are seated.”

The activist also defended his qualification to speak on insecurity, arguing that his experiences over the past few years had exposed him to situations that some security experts may not have personally witnessed.

Otse said:

“Lately in the last few years, I have been present where all these things have happened. I have seen things that a lot of security experts have not seen. This is not about book. It’s not about book. It’s about experience.”

He further argued that security was an issue that affected everyone and should not be restricted to experts or members of a particular social class.

“Security is for everybody. Security is not for some set of people. And this has been the problem,” he said.

According to Otse, his participation at the conference was intended to highlight the experiences of ordinary Nigerians who have been affected by insecurity.

He said:

“I spoke on behalf of the poor masses. I spoke on behalf of the poor people. I spoke on behalf of the people that don’t have a voice.”

Otse added that he was surprised by Falana’s position on the matter.

“I wasn’t expecting this angle from Femi Falana SAN, but well, it is what it is,” he said.