On Monday evening, Peter Obi, the Labour Party’s presidential candidate in the 2023 election, paid a visit to Aare Afe Babalola, SAN, the founder of Afe Babalola University Ado-Ekiti (ABUAD). Obi visited the distinguished legal figure at his office located within the university’s campus. Sources familiar with the meeting suggest that the visit may be connected to the ongoing legal dispute between Afe Babalola and Lagos-based human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi.
The defamation case, which was initiated by Babalola against Farotimi, revolves around allegations made in Farotimi’s book titled ‘Nigeria and Its Criminal Judicial System.’ Babalola claims that the book contained defamatory statements. The sources hinted that Obi’s visit could have been arranged by a former president, who is a close associate of Babalola, in an effort to explore alternative resolutions to the matter.
In recent developments, Dele Farotimi was arraigned in an Ado-Ekiti magistrate court last week following a petition filed by Aare Afe Babalola over the alleged defamation. However, the case took a new turn when the Inspector-General of Police (IGP) filed a fresh suit against Farotimi before the Federal High Court. This new suit, marked FHC/AD/CR/104/2024, accuses Farotimi of committing cybercrime, with 12 charges related to his online activities.
Despite the gravity of the charges, the Federal High Court granted Farotimi bail, set at N50 million, with a like sum in surety. His legal team was still in the process of finalizing the bail conditions at the time of the report.
As part of his visit to Ado-Ekiti, Peter Obi also reportedly held private discussions with Dele Farotimi at the correctional facility, where Farotimi is currently being detained. The nature of the conversations between Obi and Farotimi remains unclear, but the timing and location of the visit suggest that Obi is actively engaging with efforts to address the legal and political ramifications surrounding Farotimi’s case.
This visit has sparked speculation about the involvement of political figures in the legal matter, especially given the prominent role Farotimi played in the Obidient movement, which supported Obi’s presidential candidacy. The unfolding events are likely to keep both legal and political circles closely watching the developments in the coming days.
Gathered by: Onoro Promise Edesiri