Lagos Lawyer Sues Governor Sanwo-Olu for Blocking Him on X, Alleges Rights Violation

A Lagos-based lawyer has dragged Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu before a Federal High Court over claims that the governor violated his constitutional rights by blocking him on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account, @jidesanwoolu.

The lawyer, who both resides and practises law in Lagos, argued that the governor’s action amounted to censorship, discrimination, and an infringement on his right to freedom of expression as guaranteed by the Nigerian Constitution. He told the court that in 2021 he discovered he had been blocked after posting critical comments demanding accountability for the October 2020 #EndSARS massacre, which occurred during Sanwo-Olu’s administration.

According to the claimant, the decision to block him was a targeted act of discrimination based on political opinion and criticism of government policies. He further insisted that the governor’s use of his verified X handle for official communication made the block a denial of access to governance-related information.

In his suit, he urged the court to adopt reasoning similar to the U.S. District Court ruling in Knight First Amendment Institute v. Trump, where then-President Donald Trump was held to have violated the First Amendment by blocking American citizens who criticised him on Twitter.

The lawyer also claimed he has been “haunted, traumatized, and emotionally disturbed” by what he described as deliberate targeting by the state governor. He stressed that the lawsuit was not merely a personal matter but one of public interest, aimed at setting a precedent for digital rights and online freedoms in Nigeria.

He condemned what he described as a worsening culture of repression in the country, where critics, journalists, and activists are frequently harassed or silenced on social media. “Intolerance to criticism and accountability is unconstitutional and undemocratic,” he said, adding that the courts must act to protect the rights of citizens from being stifled by state authorities.

According to him, the judiciary has a duty to curb this trend of online censorship and protect Nigerians’ digital rights.