Former Vice President Atiku Abubakar has strongly condemned the arrest and continued detention of social media activist Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan, by the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC).
Atiku described the action as another sign of growing authoritarianism under President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
According to Atiku, the arrest and detention of VeryDarkMan, who was taken into custody over cyberstalking allegations, is a blatant abuse of power. He accused the government of weaponizing security agencies to suppress dissent and intimidate critics of the administration.
Atiku expressed concern over the lack of formal charges against Otse, calling it a flagrant violation of his constitutional rights. He noted that this incident fits a pattern of relentless assault on the fundamental freedoms of Nigerians, particularly those who dare to speak truth to power or align with the political opposition.
The former presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party also accused the Tinubu-led government of applying double standards in its handling of corruption allegations.
He stated that while opposition figures and critics are hounded, often in disregard of due process, political loyalists with credible allegations of corruption walk free, trading sycophancy for immunity.
Atiku warned against normalizing what he described as “state-sponsored repression.” He emphasized that Nigerians must not allow such actions to become the defining character of their democracy.
He concluded that the Tinubu administration’s systematic crackdown on opposition voices is disgraceful and an affront to democratic norms, and must be fiercely condemned and resisted.
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