Falana Critiques NBA for Inviting VeryDarkMan to Conference

Femi Falana, a human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, criticized the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for inviting social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, known as VeryDarkMan, to its 66th Annual General Conference held in Port Harcourt, Rivers State. Falana expressed concerns over the NBA's choice of speakers, particularly for discussions on specialized topics such as national security.

He emphasized that speakers should have a clear connection to the subject matter, stating that individuals discussing national security should have relevant experience or contributions to the country's security architecture. Falana recalled that past NBA conferences featured speakers with proven expertise, contrasting this with the current trend of inviting individuals without the necessary background.

He argued that this could undermine the purpose of the conference, which should focus on serious intellectual engagement. Some lawyers supported VeryDarkMan's inclusion for providing a citizen's perspective on insecurity, while others questioned the appropriateness of his presence on such a significant panel.