Peter Obi Visits Afe Babalola Over Farotimi Defamation Case

Peter Obi, the 2023 presidential candidate of the Labour Party, reportedly visited Chief Afe Babalola, a legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University, on Monday evening. The meeting took place at Babalola’s office in Ado-Ekiti, the Ekiti State capital. Obi was warmly welcomed by one of Babalola’s top aides before heading into a closed-door meeting.

Sources revealed that the visit is connected to the ongoing court case involving human rights lawyer and activist, Dele Farotimi. The meeting is said to have been facilitated by former President Olusegun Obasanjo in an effort to mediate and find an amicable resolution to the legal dispute.

After meeting with Babalola for over an hour, Obi proceeded to the Ado-Ekiti Correctional Centre along Afao Road, where he held discussions with Farotimi. Reports suggest that Obi’s visit to the detained lawyer was a follow-up to his earlier conversation with Babalola.

Farotimi, a vocal human rights advocate, was arraigned last week before a Magistrate Court in Ado-Ekiti on charges of defamation. The allegations stem from claims made in his book, Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System, where he accused Babalola of compromising the Supreme Court. His trial is set to resume tomorrow at the Magistrate Court.

In a separate development, the Inspector General of Police, Kayode Egbetokun, has filed another case against Farotimi at the Ado-Ekiti Federal High Court. The fresh suit, marked FHC/AD/CR/104/2024, alleges cybercrime-related offenses.

Although the court has granted Farotimi bail with conditions including a bond of ₦50 million and a surety with landed property in Ekiti State, his legal team is still working to fulfill the requirements. Efforts to speak with Obi after his meeting proved unsuccessful, as he declined to address the media before leaving the premises.