Monday, May 5, 2025 - Former Vice-President Atiku Abubakar has condemned the arrest and detention of social critic, Martins Otse aka Very DarkMan VDM.
In a post shared on his X handle, on Monday, May 5, Atiku
said the arrest by the EFCC is another “blatant abuse of power by the Tinubu
administration, which has made political repression a hallmark of its rule.”
The opposition leader also lamented that while “security
agencies are quick to target dissenters and critics, often in complete
disregard of due process, political loyalists with credible allegations of
corruption walk free, trading sycophancy for immunity.”
Read his statement below
‘’The arrest
and continued detention of social media influencer and outspoken critic, Mr.
Martins Vincent Otse, widely known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), by the Economic and
Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) is yet another blatant abuse of power by the
Tinubu administration, which has made political repression a hallmark of its
rule.
Even more
alarming is the fact that Mr. Otse remains in custody without any formal
charges is a flagrant violation of his constitutional rights and a chilling
reminder of the growing authoritarianism under this government.
This latest
episode is part of a disturbing pattern: the Tinubu regime’s relentless assault
on the fundamental freedoms of Nigerians, particularly those who dare to speak
truth to power or align with the political opposition.
We must not
allow state-sponsored repression to become the defining character of our
democracy.
While
security agencies are quick to target dissenters and critics, often in complete
disregard of due process, political loyalists with credible allegations of
corruption walk free, trading sycophancy for immunity.
The Tinubu administration’s systematic crackdown on
opposition voices is nothing short of disgraceful. It is an affront to
democratic norms and must be fiercely condemned and resisted. —AA''
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