Falana to Wike: I didn’t lie about s’court judgement on defection of Rivers lawmakers

Femi Falana, senior advocate of Nigeria (SAN), has responded to Nyesom Wike, minister of the federal capital territory (FCT), over allegations that the former lied against the supreme court.

Wike had, during a press briefing, accused Falana of spreading falsehoods about the defection status of some Rivers state legislators on national television.

“A few days ago, the supreme court settled this matter of defection,” Wike was quoted as saying.

“If someone of Femi Falana’s caliber can go on national television and lie, it’s very serious. Lies can cause a lot of crisis.”

In a statement on Sunday, Falana said Wike’s allegations were baseless and tendentious.

He said the allegations stemmed from his comments on a recent supreme court ruling on the defection of 27 members of the Rivers state assembly.

Falana said his comments were based on the fact that the matter was raised suo motu and determined by the court.

“I did not lie against the Supreme Court in respect of the judgment in question,” Falana said.

“All I said was that the matter of the defection of the 27 legislators was raised suo motu and determined by the eminent Justices of the apex court. My comment was based on the undeniable fact that the vexed issue of the defection of the 27 legislators was pending in the Port Harcourt judicial division of the Federal High Court at the material time.”

Falana also pointed out that Wike had praised the supreme court’s decision and held a thanksgiving service to celebrate it.

“However, he decided to attack me for commenting on the same judgment without any legal justification,” the statement reads.

“I wish to state, without any fear of contradictions, that my fundamental right to criticise the decisions of courts is guaranteed by Section 39 of the Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 as amended and article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples Rights.

“I challenge him to report me to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee for professional misconduct. No doubt, the minister’s latest gratuitous attack is aimed at inciting the Supreme Court against me.”

The senior lawyer also expressed concern that “Wike’s stance on criticising court judgments”could undermine the justice delivery system.

“While Mr. Wike believes that it is a professional anomaly to criticise the decisions of Judges, the Supreme Court of Nigeria has always welcomed the criticism and review of its judgments because the Justices believe that they are prone to make mistakes like all mortals,” he said.

Falana said Wike’s allegations were aimed at inciting the supreme court against him and that he would not be intimidated.

“In the light of the foregoing, it is indubitably clear that the allegation levelled against me by Mr. Wike is spurious and tendencious in every material particular. To that extent, he has failed in his desperate bid to incite the Justices of the Supreme Court against me without any basis whatsoever,” Falana said.