VDM hits back at Falana, defends NBA conference invitation

By Damilola Akinwale –

Controversial social media influencer Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, has responded to human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, who criticised his invitation to speak at the Nigerian Bar Association’s 66th Annual General Conference.

Falana had argued that speakers at such events should have relevant expertise or experience in specific fields, particularly when discussing national security. He, however, acknowledged the importance of hearing from members of the public on issues affecting justice delivery.

Reacting to the criticism, VDM shared a video on his social media pages on Friday, saying Falana’s remarks had made it clearer to him why some people opposed his invitation to the conference.

He described the issue as “classism”, alleging that his invitation was questioned because of his background and social status compared with the elites who usually attend the event.

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

The self-styled activist said he was disappointed by Falana’s position, arguing that his personal experience with insecurity qualified him to contribute to discussions on the subject.

VDM further argued that insecurity affected everyone, particularly ordinary Nigerians who were exposed to its consequences, adding that his participation was aimed at drawing attention to their experiences.

“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,” he added.