The controversy surrounding VeryDarkMan’s appearance at the Nigerian Bar Association Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt has taken another turn following his latest response to human-rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN.
In a new video monitored by NewsMaximum on VDM’s YouTube page, the social media activist claimed that before proceeding to the conference, he encountered Falana at the hotel where he was staying.
According to VDM, he greeted Falana respectfully, prostrated before him and informed the senior lawyer that he was going to attend the NBA conference.
VDM lamented that he was shocked when he later heard Falana criticise his appearance at the NBA programme despite their encounter before the event.
Expressing his disappointment, VDM said he would never greet Falana again, declaring: “Let the world burn if I ever greet Femi Falana again.”
Recall that VDM’s appearance at the NBA conference in Port Harcourt, where he participated in a discussion on security, generated considerable controversy.
Speaking during an appearance on Channels Television, Falana questioned the decision to invite VDM to participate in a security-related discussion, arguing that such a conversation should involve people with relevant professional experience and expertise in security matters.
Falana’s remarks generated further debate, with some people criticising VDM’s participation in the conference while others defended the social media activist. Notably, Arise TV journalist Rufai Oseni was among those who publicly defended VDM’s participation in the programme.
VDM had earlier responded to the criticism, describing some of the reactions to his appearance as a reflection of classism. He argued that some people found it difficult to accept that someone from an ordinary background could be given an opportunity to speak at such a prominent gathering.
The latest remarks by VDM have now added another dimension to the controversy surrounding his appearance at the NBA conference and the subsequent criticism.