PORT HARCOURT, RIVERS STATE — Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN), Femi Falana, has criticized the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for inviting social media commentator Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), as a panelist at its 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt.
Falana expressed concern that key panel sessions on sensitive national issues, particularly national security and the rule of law, should feature domain experts and practitioners rather than individuals brought in for popular entertainment or “side shows”.
Key Highlights of Falana’s Criticism
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Lack of Professional Expertise: Falana argued that addressing complex security frameworks requires professionals with institutional or academic backgrounds in the sector. He noted that inviting individuals without practical security credentials undermines the quality of professional discourse expected at an annual general conference.
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Entertainment vs. Serious Discourse: Comparing the situation to press freedom discussions, Falana remarked: “It’s like talking about media freedom… You bring practitioners in that field, either in academics or in the newsroom. But to just go and bring somebody from nowhere to come and entertain you, there are problems with that.”
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Call for Rigorous Speaker Vetting: The senior lawyer urged the leadership of the NBA to preserve the conference’s legacy of intellectual rigor, demanding that speakers and panelists be selected based on proven track records, institutional knowledge, and relevant expertise.
