“I Don’t See Afe Babalola Surviving Defamation Case Against Farotimi – Ex-Minister Dalung

A former Minister of Sports, Solomon Dalung, has expressed doubts about Chief Afe Babalola’s chances of winning the defamation case he filed against activist lawyer, Dele Farotimi. Dalung, speaking on the Mic On Podcast on Sunday, suggested that Babalola, a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, might have made a mistake by pursuing legal action against Farotimi.

The case stems from Babalola’s claim that Farotimi’s 104-page book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice, contains defamatory content about him. Babalola’s petition to the Ekiti State Police led to Farotimi’s arrest in Lagos and his subsequent arraignment in an Ado Ekiti Magistrate Court. The book, which has gained significant attention, is available worldwide, including in Ekiti State where Babalola resides, prompting the defamation claims.

Dalung, however, believes Babalola should have taken a different approach. He suggested that rather than seeking legal redress, Babalola could have chosen to ignore the matter and maintain his dignified legacy. “Afe Babalola should have not taken this route,” Dalung said. “He has exposed his legacies to public attacks and I don’t see him surviving it.”

Dalung also pointed out that Farotimi, a respected human rights activist, has a solid reputation among Nigerians, which makes it difficult for the public to accept Babalola’s claims of defamation. “If I were to advise him, I would have asked him to just call Dele and say, ‘look, my son, this is not the way to go, you will also get to where I am today,’” Dalung added. He concluded by stating that the legal battle now seems to be a confrontation between Babalola and the Nigerian public, predicting that Babalola would not emerge victorious from the ordeal.