Arrest of VeryDarkMan abuse of power by Tinubu’s govt – Atiku

Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, former presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, on Monday said the arrest of social critic, Martins Otse aka VeryDarkMan by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission, EFCC, is a blatant abuse of power by President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Atiku accused Tinubu of making political repression the hallmark of his administration.

He said Tinubu administration’s systematic crackdown on opposition voices is disgraceful.

Posting on X, the former Vice President described the action of the Tinubu administration as an affront to democratic norms that must be fiercely condemned and resisted

DAILY POST reports that VDM was arrested on Friday by the EFCC over an undisclosed offense.

Before his arrest, the social critic had announced his visit to one of the GTBank branches in Abuja, to complain about an alleged deduction from his mother’s account.

Following his arrest, the activist was said to have been manhandled by operatives of the anti-graft agency.

EFCC had said VDM will soon be charged to court, adding that he was arrested following several petitions against him.

Atiku wrote: “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.”