Peter Obi’s Ekiti Visit To Beg Afe Babalola Hurt Dele Farotimi’s Case –Lawyer
During a “Justice for Farotimi” event with global attendees on Tuesday, Temokun expressed concerns the visit may have compromised Farotimi’s chances of freedom at the time.
Temitope Temokun, counsel for the incarcerated rights activist Dele Farotimi, has criticised former Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi’s visit to Afe Babalola (SAN), stating it undermined efforts to secure Farotimi’s release.
During a “Justice for Farotimi” event with global attendees on Tuesday, Temokun expressed concerns the visit may have compromised Farotimi’s chances of freedom at the time.
Farotimi was incarcerated for alleging corruption in the Nigerian judiciary through his book.
“The movement was already geared and mobilised towards the case of Farotimi until people started saying that we have gone to beg Afe Babalola,” Temokun said.
“The decision of Peter Obi to beg Afe Babalola hurt all efforts put in place already,” he added.
Temokun acknowledged a positive development stemming from Dele Farotimi’s assertive declaration that he didn’t authorise anyone to beg Afe Babalola – a significant surge in public demand for justice in his case.
In addition, Omoyele Sowore, a prominent rights activist and former African Action Congress presidential candidate, revealed that Peter Obi’s visit to Afe Babalola prompted the Take It Back Movement to suspend planned protests against Farotimi’s detention and harassment.
“We had to step down the protests after Peter Obi went begging Afe Babalola, especially as we felt they knew each other (in reference to Peter Obi and Dele Farotimi). Although we still sent representatives to different organisations demanding his (Farotimi’s) release,” he said.
SaharaReporters earlier reported that Obi met with Babalola in Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State and pleaded with the lawyer to consider Farotimi’s “situation”.
Babalola has come under intense criticisms since he petitioned the Nigerian police to arrest Farotimi, with Nigerians locally and in the diaspora gearing for protests to force the nonagenarian to stop his alleged abuse of power.
Obi, who came from Lagos to Ekiti State on Monday, reportedly had “in-depth discussions” with Babalola including on Farotimi’s matter, but sources who were at the meeting confirmed that the former Labour Party candidate rather begged the legal luminary.
