Nigerian social media critic Martins Otse, popularly known as VeryDarkMan (VDM), has criticised Nigerians who mocked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu after he briefly stumbled and fell during an official engagement in Turkey.
The incident occurred in Ankara, where President Tinubu was walking alongside his Turkish counterpart, President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, when he momentarily missed his step and fell. The video of the incident quickly circulated online, triggering mixed reactions across social media platforms.
Reacting to the development, VDM expressed displeasure over the ridicule directed at the president, stating that he found it inappropriate to mock an elderly leader over such an incident. He urged Nigerians to show empathy, comparing the situation to how people would react if their own fathers were involved.
“A lot of you are laughing at the president. I wouldn’t, because he is older than my father and older than a lot of your fathers on social media. If your father falls, will you laugh at him? The answer is no,” VDM said.
While condemning the mockery, the outspoken critic maintained that the incident raised legitimate concerns about President Tinubu’s physical fitness. He noted that falling is not exclusive to the Nigerian leader, referencing similar incidents involving other world leaders, including former United States President Joe Biden.
“I believe there are many things you can criticise him for, but laughing because he fell makes no sense. Is he the only leader that has ever fallen? No. Look at Joe Biden,” he added.
VDM, however, concluded by stating that repeated incidents of this nature could suggest that the president may no longer be physically fit for the demands of leadership, describing the episode as an embarrassment for Nigeria on the global stage.
