• Honours late Pa Adebanjo, Dozie, others
The 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party (LP), Peter Obi, yesterday, condemned the arrest of Martin Vincent Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), saying the action was carried out in a manner that left many Nigerians unsettled.
In a statement, Obi said the manner of VDM’s arrest was like an abduction, saying: “This is a disturbing method that not only creates fear but also risks being mimicked by criminal elements. ”
He emphasised that if Nigerians begin to struggle to distinguish between legitimate arrests and unlawful abductions, they will lose a vital layer of national security and accountability.
“This trend is not new. We must recall that even our esteemed judges, the last line of defence for justice, have suffered similar indignities in recent years. When those who interpret the law are treated with such disregard, it is difficult to expect that ordinary citizens will feel protected under the law,” he said.
The former presidential candidate lamented that the methods are beginning to affect the economy and business environment. “One cannot help but ask: was it impossible to invite Mr. Otse in a civil, transparent, and legal manner? Would that not have spared Nigerians, GTBank, and our national image the unnecessary shame and losses we now witness?”
He also stated that the alleged abduction of a President of the National Association of Nigerian Students (NANS) raises critical questions about the independence of student leadership and the subtle erosion of young voices in democracy.
RETURNING from an international tour that included attending the funeral of Pope Francis at the Vatican and academic engagements in the United States, Obi immediately plunged into a solemn homecoming, one marked by grief, remembrance, and national reflection.
The former Labour Party (LP) presidential candidate joined Nigerians in mourning some of the country’s most distinguished citizens, attending their funerals and offering heartfelt tributes that underscored their lifelong service to justice, development, and truth.
Among them was Pa Ayo Adebanjo, a moral force in Nigerian politics and a symbol of unyielding courage. Obi was present at his Night of Tributes in Lagos on April 30, his lying-in-state on May 1, and the final burial in Isanya Ogbo, Ogun State, on May 3. “He was never afraid to stand alone, as long as he stood on truth,” Obi said.
In Lagos and Egbu, Imo State, Obi honoured Mr Pascal Dozie, an economic trailblazer who empowered generations through visionary banking and enterprise. “He invested not just in business, but in people and possibilities,” Obi said.
Obi also paid respects to Dubem Onyia, a former Minister of State for Foreign Affairs, at his funeral in Enugu, describing him as “a voice of diplomacy, fairness and deep commitment to national unity.”
In Lagos, he bid farewell to Prof. Olufunmilayo Yetunde Oloruntimehin, a towering academic figure whose work in sociology, he noted, “shaped how we understand ourselves and our society.”
In his final reflection, Obi offered prayers for the eternal rest of the departed and a stirring message for the living: He said: “These lives were beacons of what Nigeria can be. May we honour them not just in memory, but in the Nigeria we choose to build—a just, united and compassionate nation that is Possible.”
