Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association’s decision to invite social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, to speak at its 66th Annual General Conference.
Falana expressed his position during an interview with Channels Television on Thursday while discussing the controversy surrounding VeryDarkMan’s participation at the conference in Port Harcourt.
The activist participated in a session focused on insecurity and other issues affecting Nigeria.
Falana argued that speakers invited to address lawyers at professional conferences should possess relevant expertise or practical experience in the subject under discussion.
He said NBA conferences should serve as platforms for serious intellectual engagement rather than entertainment.
The criticism comes after the NBA itself recognised VeryDarkMan during the conference. Reports indicate that the association presented him with an award following his participation as a panellist.
VeryDarkMan’s appearance generated considerable public discussion because of his unconventional role in Nigeria’s public discourse, particularly his frequent criticism of government institutions and security agencies.
Falana’s intervention has now added a prominent legal voice to the debate over whether professional bodies should broaden their platforms to include influential social media commentators or maintain a more traditional approach centred on established experts.
The disagreement ultimately raises a wider question about the changing nature of public discourse in Nigeria and the role social media personalities should play in formal professional conversations.