Court Adjourns Former Ekiti Governor Fayemi’s Libel Case Against Sowore To June 2025 Over Claimant’s Unreadiness
However, Sowore’s legal team expressed concerns over what they described as a last-minute reply served by Fayemi’s lawyers, despite the defence having been filed since June 2024.
AFederal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja has adjourned the libel case filed by former Ekiti State Governor, Dr. Kayode Fayemi, against activist Omoyele Sowore to June 16, 2025, after the claimant’s legal team requested more time.
The matter, scheduled for a hearing on Monday, was set for cross-examination.
However, Sowore’s legal team expressed concerns over what they described as a last-minute reply served by Fayemi’s lawyers, despite the defence having been filed since June 2024.
Addressing journalists after the proceedings, one of Sowore’s lawyers, Tope Temokun criticised the delay, arguing that the late filing of documents signalled an attempt to stall the case.
“The matter was scheduled for a hearing today regarding the continuation of trial. Ordinarily, the claimant should have a witness in the dock giving evidence,” the lawyer stated.
“However, we filed our defence as far back as June 2024. Several months have passed, yet it was only this morning that they served me a reply in court. The court pointed out that they could not claim to be ready for trial while serving the defendant a reply on the same day. This clearly showed they were effectively seeking an adjournment,” he added.
Following this, the court granted an adjournment and rescheduled the case for June 16, 2025. The upcoming session will allow the claimant to present witnesses before Sowore’s legal team enters their defence.
Despite the delay, Sowore’s lawyers reaffirmed their readiness for trial.
“We remain fully prepared. If not for the reply they served today, which includes documents we need to examine, we would have proceeded with the trial. There has never been a day we appeared in court unprepared,” the lawyer emphasised.
The case has drawn widespread public interest, as it raises legal questions about the right of citizens to criticise public officials.
“This is a matter of significant public interest. A former governor, who also served as Chairman of the Nigerian Governors’ Forum, has sued an individual for defamation. We want to test the law and determine whether, in this country, citizens have the right to comment on the actions and official conduct of public officers,” the lawyer stated.
Background
Sowore, the convener of #RevolutionNow, had filed a defence statement in response to a libel suit brought by Fayemi, against him and Sahara Reporters Limited.
The defence statement was filed at a Federal Capital Territory High Court in Abuja.
In a 47-paragraph defendants’ joint statement of defence in suit No: FCT/HC/CV 2062/2021 between Fayemi as Claimant and Mr. Omoyele Sowore (founder Chairman & Director Sahara Reporters Limited, Publishers of Sahara Reporters) and Sahara Reporters Limited as 1st and 2nd Defendants, Sowore tells the court that the Claimant is a thief who has no reputation.
In the statement of defence, Sowore asks the court to dismiss the suit with substantial costs, arguing that Fayemi has no reputation to protect. Sowore’s counsel, Temokun, submitted the statement on June 10, 2024, asserting that contrary to Fayemi’s claims of piety and incorruptibility, the people of Ekiti State and Nigeria have a different perception of him.
The defendants argue that Fayemi’s reputation is tarnished, and he has no grounds to claim libel.
The defendants pointed out that the claimant, Fayemi, was charged in January 2018 with financial impropriety offences in the High Court of Ekiti State (Charge No: HAD/5c/2018 – The State Vs. Dr. John Kayode Fayemi and Mr. Vincent Dapo Kolawole).
The charges included refusing to obey a witness summons, attempting to prevent or defeat the course of justice, criminal contempt, and abuse of office.
Additionally, the defendants alleged that Fayemi secured a N20 billion loan from a bank to build an international cargo airport in Ado Ekiti, despite rejecting an offer from Aare Afe Babalola to contribute to the project, claiming that the state had sufficient funds to complete the airport. This contradicts Fayemi’s claims of uprightness and incorruptibility.
The defendants noted that the cargo airport in Ado-Ekiti, inaugurated on October 15, 2022, was not fully completed, despite claims by Fayemi that it was a world-class facility.
Fayemi had tweeted that the airport could accommodate large aircraft and had a terminal building capable of handling both local and international travellers.
However, the defendants argued that the airport remained unfinished, with no other aircraft landing there since its inauguration.
They also noted that the Ekiti State Government disclosed in its 2023 budget presentation that over N16.5 billion had been spent on the airport’s construction, but the control tower, passenger terminal, and runway remained incomplete.
The defendants refer to a statement made by the Special Adviser to Governor Biodun Oyebanji on Budget and Economic Planning, Mr. Niyi Adebayo, regarding the cargo airport in Ado-Ekiti.
Adebayo said that while military aircraft can land without navigational aids, commercial planes require a functional control tower, a new terminal, and adequate lighting infrastructure to ensure safe landings.
The defendants intend to rely on a report published by Leadership Newspaper on the cargo airport and allege that when the banks funding the project refused additional loans, the Ekiti State Government sought financial assistance from Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) to complete the project.
According to them, Babalola pledged N4 billion, with N2 billion already disbursed, but instead of appreciation, the claimant, Fayemi, has subjected Babalola to unjustified attacks in the media.
The defendants also mention a petition by concerned Ekiti citizens to the Economic and Financial Crimes Commission (EFCC) to investigate alleged treasury looting by Fayemi, which they intend to rely on in the trial.
The defendants note that on May 19, 2021, Fayemi launched the “Ekiti Rice Pyramid” in Ado Ekiti State, with former Central Bank of Nigeria (CBN) governor, Godwin Emefiele, in attendance. The project was aimed to support three million rice farmers and enhance the country’s agricultural value chain.
However, the defendants argue that despite Fayemi’s assurances that the project would increase Ekiti State’s annual rice production from 34,700 to 15 million metric tonnes and create 12,000 jobs, the funds collected for the project were instead diverted during his tenure.
“Hence, Ekiti State did not join Kebbi, Ebonyi and other states that became rice producers through the Anchor Borrowers Programme,” the Defendants add.
“The claimant is hereby given notice to produce the account of the money received from the Central Bank of Nigeria for the ‘Ekiti Rice Pyramid,’” the Defendants note.
The defendants accused Fayemi of diverting the London/Paris Club refund of N2.4 billion intended for the 16 local government councils in Ekiti State. They urged Fayemi to produce the account for the refund.
The defendants also argue that Fayemi caused the Ekiti State Government to take a $20 million loan to combat COVID-19, despite a committee of Ekiti State indigenes raising funds and materials to fight the pandemic. The defendants allege that Fayemi diverted the loan.
