By: Dr. Kehinde Abiola
Few days before Dele Farotimi, a lawyer, activist and politician, (a chieftain of Labor Party) was arrested, charged to court and detained on the order of a court in Ekiti State, he addressed Journalists and claimed that he was being hounded due to a petition on defamation filed against him by Tony Elumelu.
He only mentioned that the elder statesman and Founder & Chancellor of of the increasingly famous Afe Babalola University, Ado-Ekiti, ABUAD, Aare Afe Babalola, OFR, CON, SAN, LL. D (London), Fellow, King’s College, London, was complicit without giving details.
When the news of his arrest and detention was broken, many activists commenced “aluta” without seeking information from the police, Afe Babalola or Tony Elumelu (both of who were) accused of wrong doings by their co-activist, Dele Farotimi.
They just supported “their own”. Dr. Tanko Yunusa, the National Coordinator of Obedient Movement, that primarily comprises supporters of Presidential Candidate of Labor Party in 2023, Mr. Peter Obi, also condemned the arrest.
The Movement threatened public protest if Dele Farotimi, their member, was not immediately released. Dr. Yunusa went ahead to allege that Peter Obi was the target as if a conspiracy involving political opponents of Peter Obi, was the main issue. Atiku Abubakar added his voice and condemned Dele Farotimi’s arrest and detention.
One will not dissipate energy on reactions by these politicians. In Nigeria, it is politics when you support whatever your political party or a faction within the party or your associates are doing. The concept of “anyhow” is a Nigerian political factor, though a negative one.
On his part, Omoyele Sowore did not only condemn Dele Farotimi’s arrest. He went further to press that Aare Afe Babalola be dealt with when he (Sowore) wrote that writers and rights groups and Nigerians globally are mounting pressure on the King’s College, London, where Aare Afe Babalola donated 10 Million British Pound Sterling in 2023 to establish the Afe Babalola African Centre for Transnational Education to lift indigent African students from the pangs of ignorance, lack, want and poverty through quality education, to return the donation.
One does not expect King’s College, London, to depend on mere hearsay to take such a drastic action against a world-class Philanthropist and Educationist who in 2023 justified his huge donation to King’s College in the following words: “Partnering with King’s College, University of London, the first university in the world that appreciates the power of education to provide quality education for the under-privileged in the 60’s, is a project that is dear to my heart.This is the more so because education is the surest panacea to ignorance, poverty, extremism, religious bigotry and tribalism among other vices”.He added: “What I am doing through this partnership is a replica of what the University of London did in the past through its External Degree Programme which enabled the underprivileged in the Commonwealth to study at home. Hence, despite my humble beginnings and armed with Primary VI certificate, I was able to obtain my B. Sc (Economics) in 1959 and my LL. B (Hons) in 1963, both from the University of London. “Therefore, my contribution to this Programme is a way of reciprocating what I benefitted from the laudable and unique External Degree Programme of the University of London in the 60’s without which I certainly would have ended up an unsung farmer or at best the Secretary of the Local Motor Union”.
I feel concerned that Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP), a highly reputable advocate of accountability and rule of law lost its usual rudder of thoroughness and fairness on this matter when the organization requested the President Bola Ahmed Tinubu-led administration to release Dele Farotimi immediately because his arrest and detention were no more than a simple civil matter.
By my understanding, the Sowores of this world are employing fallacy of pity in support of Dele Farotimi and against Afe Babalola by painting a picture of a powerful man using his means to oppress a helpless person. I am not saying that Dele Farotimi should not be helped by his co-activists in time of trouble like this. Afterall, that is the whole essence of friendship and comradeship. However, the idea of wanting to destroy Aare Afe Babalola because of their (the Activists’) friend whose activity landed him in trouble is not advocacy for the masses or for the purpose of good governance.
Apart from being the writer of the book that Afe Babalola and Tony Elumelu complained about, Dele Farotimi is a businessman. His company is the publisher. He wrote and published the book for profit. He wrote a book with suspected intention to willfully destroy the reputation Tony Elumelu, Afe Babalola and some Jurists which took them decades to build, for him to earn money. It is unfair, and indeed unheard of, for someone bent on making money through the publication of a book, to hide under the canopy of human rights activism to rubbish the reputation of others. It would appear that there is a conflict of interest between Dele Farotimi’s advocacy for human rights and his publishing business of making money on this particular matter.
There were reports that Omoyele Sowore is angered that former President Olusegun Obasanjo and Peter Obi, the Presidential candidate of Labor Party and other well-meaning Nigerians are making efforts for an amicable settlement of the matter. He, Sowore, should know that intransigence does not always solve problems. Even in warfare, kinetic and non-kinetic means are used.
As Sowore carries on with his “aluta”, he should not discourage others that want the matter settled by alternative means which could lead to a no-victor-no-vanquished end. In case Sowore is bent on scaring peace makers away, the best way he could help Farotimi is to bolden him to become eager to prove his allegation against Aare Afe Babalola in court, instead of him calling on Ekiti State Government to withdraw the case or Farotimi’s lawyers praying for a dismissal of the case.
Waging war on Afe Babalola by the activists is not what is needed on this matter, particularly as the case is in court already. That someone is an activist who could easily appeal to emotion of the masses to protest is not a licence for someone alleged to have committed a cybercrime and libel not to be arrested and prosecuted.
If the arrest, arraignment or detention of the author and publisher is considered illegal, the law court should be approached for redress, not mobilization for unrest. Dele Farotimi should begin to defend what he wrote in his book against Aare Afe Babalola’s character and the Sowores of this world should allow peace makers such as former President Olusegun Obasanjo, Bishop Mathew Kukah, Peter Obi and other well-meaning Nigerians to function instead of scaring them away. Omoyele Sowore will do Farotmi more harm than good on this matter if care is not taken.
Kehinde Abiola writes from Osogbo, Osun State.