Ex-Labour Party presidential candidate, Peter Obi, and the pan-Yoruba socio-cultural and socio-political organisation, Afenifere on Monday, commended legal luminary, Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), for agreeing to withdraw the defamation cases instituted against human rights activist and lawyer, Dele Farotimi.
Afenifere and Obi gave the commendation in separate interviews on Monday.
Recall that Babalola and Farotimi had been locked in a legal battle since last year, following Babalola’s complaint that Farotimi defamed him in a book titled ‘Nigeria and its Criminal Justice System’.
Following Babalola’s petition, the police had arrested Farotimi and arraigned him before two courts in Ekiti.
Consequently, Farotimi was charged with criminal defamation before the Ekiti State Magistrates’ Court in Ado Ekiti; and was also arraigned for alleged cyber-bullying before the Federal High Court in Ado Ekiti.
The activist was remanded for 20 days before perfecting his bail and regaining freedom on December 24, 2024.
However, Babalola, on Monday morning, announced that he would be withdrawing the court cases against Farotimi, following the intervention of Yoruba monarchs, led by the Ooni of Ife, Oba Adeyeye Ogunwusi.
“I will tell my lawyers to withdraw the case,” Babalola said after a midnight meeting with the traditional rulers at ABUAD.
Reacting to the development in a statement by its National Publicity Secretary, Jare Ajayi, Afenifere, who had earlier called for Farotimi’s release, commended Babalola for his peace move.
Afenifere said that by heeding the calls of the traditional rulers “Aare Afe Babalola has demonstrated, as a true Yoruba son, certain core ethos of being an Omoluabi.
“He came to defend his reputation and when he was appealed to by our foremost traditional institutions, he dropped the gauntlet. This is highly commendable.
“We also applaud Ooni and other monarchs ‘for the bold step they took’. They acted as true elders in line with the saying ‘Agba kii wa loja, ki ori omo titun wo’ – Elders would not sit-by in a marketplace to watch the dangling head of a child!’
“This act has further demonstrated the valuable roles that our Obas – who are the custodians of our culture and tradition – can play in society, if given the chance.”
In a similar vein, Obi, who had also last year visited Babalola over the matter, described Monday’s outcome as positive.
Speaking through his media aide, Ibrahim Umar, the former Anambra governor said, “We are pleased that this matter has been resolved amicably, and we believe that this outcome is a testament to the power of dialogue, and constructive engagement. Let me set the record straight: Obi’s visit to Afe Babalola was not about begging for pardon for Dele Farotimi, but rather a genuine effort at intervention and conflict resolution.
“As a leader, Obi recognises the importance of peaceful resolution of disputes, and his actions were guided by this principle. Now, with the news that Afe Babalola has agreed to withdraw the suit against Dele Farotimi, we welcome this development as a positive outcome of Obi’s intervention.
“This decision demonstrates that Chief Babalola is also committed to finding peaceful solutions to conflicts, and we commend him for this gesture. It’s worth noting that Mr. Obi’s actions were driven by his desire to facilitate a peaceful resolution that would allow all parties to move forward positively and constructively.”