The tension began after Adeyanju posted a message on X (formerly Twitter) urging VDM to exercise restraint in his activism. In the now-viral post, Adeyanju wrote:
“I call VDM every time to be careful and stop taking unnecessary risks but he doesn’t listen most of the time. If anything happens to you today, everyone has moved on by tomorrow. We only overrate ourselves, Nigerians don’t rate anybody.”
The comment has sparked speculation about a rift between the lawyer and his outspoken client, who is known for his blunt commentaries on social and political issues.
In response, VDM released a strongly worded Instagram video, expressing his frustration and accusing Adeyanju of promoting fear.
“First thing first, I’m really disappointed in my lawyer, Deji Adeyanju. I’m so disappointed in you for this post especially because you are a comrade,” he said.
He argued that the inevitability of people moving on after someone's death is a fact of life that should not be used to discourage activism or speaking truth to power.
“It’s true that Nigerians will move on if anything happens to me today, but is there anyone that will die and Nigeria will not move on? Jesus Christ died, the world moved on. The Catholic Pope died, the world moved on and a new Pope was installed… Who do you think is special, you?”
Calling the warning “coward talk,” VDM suggested that such sentiments are commonly used by politicians to deter people from holding them accountable.
“Anybody wey open his mouth talk that thing is a coward. I swear to God... that is a word those politicians have put out there to scare people from talking.”
He further insisted that staying silent or avoiding risk does not guarantee safety, pointing to violent incidents in various parts of the country as evidence that danger is indiscriminate.
“I have the platform… Some people wey no dey take risks, dem still kill them for house. Look at what happened in Benue, Borno, Taraba, Delta, Enugu... You think you are important? We are all nothing.”
The public clash between VDM and Adeyanju adds a new layer to the critic’s already polarizing presence online and raises broader questions about the risks of activism in Nigeria and the tension between courage and caution in advocacy.
Neither Adeyanju nor his legal team has issued a formal response to the backlash at the time of this report.