ABUJA (Sundiata Post ) – Peter Obi, presidential candidate of the Labour Party in the 2023 election, has condemned the arrest of activist lawyer, Dele Farotimi, on Tuesday by the police in Lagos.
Reacting on his X handle @PeterObi on Tuesday, the opposition leader said defamation is a civil matter, saying the action of the politice is an assault on the principles of democracy.
He asked the police to immediately and unconditionally release Farotimi.
Sundiata Post recalls that the Nigeria Police earlier on Tuesday arrested Farotimi presumably over a petition written by Mr. Tony Elumelu, Founder and Chairman of UBAPlc.
Peter Obi’s statement reads in full:
I just learned of the arrest of @DeleFarotimi, a respected human rights lawyer and advocate, over an allegation of defamation.
This action is a gross misuse of police powers and a grave assault on the principles of democracy and justice in Nigeria.
I condemn this action in totality. It represents not only an attempt to intimidate opposing voices from questioning authority .
It is also a worrying signal to every Nigerian who loves and values freedom of expression and dares to demand accountability and transparency.
The Nigeria Police Force exists to protect the rights of citizens, not to suppress them.
Defamation, by its nature, is a civil matter that should be addressed in court through due legal process in line with the dictates of the rule of law in a democracy.
As a private citizen, former governor, and even today, I am frequently defamed, insulted, and lied about and against. Yet, I have never resorted to using the Nigerian police or filing reports to silence others.
Those who feel otherwise should seek redress through the proper legal channels, not by weaponizing the police or abusing their access to authority or state power.
The resort to police action, in this case, reeks of abuse of power and raises serious concerns about the independence and professionalism of the police as a civil force.
I hereby request that Dele Farotimi should be released immediately and unconditionally. The police must recognize that their allegiance is to the Constitution and the people of Nigeria, not to narrow interests at the behest of those in power.
A new more Just and fair Nigeria is possible!
-PO
