For a long time, I have resisted the urge to comment on the Nigerian Bar Association’s (NBA) controversial decision to invite social media influencer Martins Vincent Otse, popularly known as “VeryDarkMan” (VDM), as a panelist at its annual conference. I held my peace not out of indifference, but out of a profound sense of fatigue. Like many colleagues, I have watched the gradual erosion of professional etiquette, ethical standards, and nobility within the NBA with a heavy heart—leading to my own self-imposed sabbatical from the association’s activities.
However, when VDM recently declared that the legal profession in Nigeria is no longer “noble,” the truth of his statement stung because of its accuracy. As the ancient African proverb goes: “Those who bring ants-infested firewood into the house must not complain when lizards pay them a visit.”
The NBA brought this ridicule upon itself. By inviting a character whose brand thrives on controversy and anti-establishment rhetoric to sit on a panel meant for serious professional discourse, the association practically begged to be insulted. VDM merely looked at his hosts, saw a house stripped of its dignity, and spoke the uncomfortable truth.
A Mirror of Internal Decay
The outrage over the VDM invitation is not just about the person of VDM; it is about what his presence symbolizes. How did an association that prides itself on “promoting the rule of law” become a laughingstock?
The answer lies within. For years, the leadership of the NBA has desecrated the very rule of law it claims to champion. The association has consistently subverted the will of its members, treating lawyers—who pay exorbitant practice and conference fees—with utter disdain.
Consider the logistical nightmare and embarrassment that have characterized recent annual conferences. Members pay hundreds of thousands of naira, only to be handed cheap, substandard materials. For the 2026 conference preparations, members were reportedly presented with low-grade Ankara bags. Yet, there is a conspiracy of silence. Nobody speaks up, and accountability remains a myth.
This lack of nobility did not start today, nor should the blame be laid solely at the feet of the current leadership under Mazi Afam Osigwe, SAN. This is a systemic rot that has festered for years.
On August 27, 2018, I wrote a critique that is, unfortunately, even more relevant today:
> *“I think the NBA has lost the moral right to advocate for the rule of law in Nigeria. In the running of its affairs, does the NBA respect its own members? On many occasions, lawyers who pay their annual practicing and conference fees are cheated and neglected. In 2018, I paid ₦200,000 for the conference, only to receive a bag, a writing pad, and a pen worth less than ₦5,000 in the open market. Yet, there is no accountability. The leaders of the profession have adopted a ‘sidon look’ attitude, asking us to forget and forge ahead. But how can we heal the NBA’s wounds without first removing the iron piercing its body? It is a sad irony that the NBA, as a physician, cannot heal itself, yet attempts to prescribe cures for the ailments plaguing Nigerian society.”*
Six years later, the issues raised in 2018 have not only persisted; they have worsened. The rights of members are violated with impunity, and there is no internal mechanism for remedy. When serious issues affecting the survival of the legal profession are brought to the table, they are quickly trivialized on the altar of primordial sentiment and selfish technicalities.
#### **The Naked Masquerade**
When VDM mockingly stripped the profession of its “noble” title, he was only pointing out the obvious. He saw a profession that had thrown its own code of ethics out the window.
When a masquerade chooses to dance naked in the market square, it cannot complain when the spectators lose their awe and respect for it. We cannot defend the charade, condone the irregularities within our house, and then turn around to blame an outsider like VDM for calling us out.
If the NBA was truly serious about addressing the existential crises facing the legal profession—ranging from the welfare of young lawyers to the corruption in the judiciary—VDM would never have been deemed an appropriate panelist. But under the current dispensation, entertainment has replaced substance.
It is the very vacuum of nobility within the profession that has made characters like VDM popular and seemingly more credible to the public than the custodians of the law.
As it stands, the NBA’s code of ethics is on official leave. Until we, as lawyers, demand accountability from our leaders, clean our own house, and restore the lost dignity of the Bar, we must get used to the visits of the lizards. The masquerade must cover its nakedness before it can demand respect from the marketplace.
