Former Vice President and opposition figure Atiku Abubakar has strongly criticised the arrest and continued detention of social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
In a statement on Monday, Atiku described the move as “yet another blatant abuse of power” by the Bola Tinubu administration, accusing it of using political repression as a tool of governance.
“Even more alarming is the fact that Mr. Otse remains in custody without any formal charges—a flagrant violation of his constitutional rights and a chilling reminder of the growing authoritarianism under this government,” Atiku declared.
He argued that the detention forms part of a “disturbing pattern” of the Tinubu administration suppressing fundamental freedoms, particularly targeting critics and opposition voices.
“We must not allow state-sponsored repression to become the defining character of our democracy,” Atiku warned.
The former presidential candidate also accused security agencies of selective enforcement, noting that while dissenters face swift arrests—often without due process—political allies embroiled in corruption allegations remain untouched.
“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,” he asserted.
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