Renowned human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has dared the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, Nyesom Wike, to report him to the Legal Practitioners’ Disciplinary Committee (LPDC) over his recent legal commentary on the Supreme Court’s verdict regarding the political situation in Rivers State.
Falana, in a statement titled “I Did Not Lie Against the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” accused Wike of attempting to manipulate the apex court by misrepresenting his position. He maintained that his analysis of the defection of 27 lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the All Progressives Congress (APC) was factual and in line with legal proceedings.
Wike had earlier criticized Falana during a press briefing in Abuja, accusing him of deliberately misleading the public in his commentary on Channels TV. He said, “If someone of Femi Falana’s calibre can go on national television and lie, it’s very serious. Lies can cause a lot of crises.”
Responding, Falana said, “Mr. Wike subjected me to another scurrilous attack in a press conference, where he alleged that I lied about the defection status of certain legislators during my appearance on Channels TV.”
Falana clarified that the case regarding the lawmakers’ defection was still pending before the Federal High Court in Port Harcourt when the Supreme Court gave its ruling. He stressed that he merely stated that the matter was raised suo motu (on its own accord) by the Supreme Court.
To support his point, Falana cited sworn affidavits and video evidence in which the defecting lawmakers admitted to switching parties. He emphasized that his right to critique court rulings is protected by the Nigerian Constitution and the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
“My right to criticise judgments is protected by Section 39 of the 1999 Constitution and Article 9 of the African Charter,” he stated.
He further accused Wike of hypocrisy, noting that the minister has a record of publicly attacking judges whose decisions don’t align with his political interests.
Falana referenced the words of the late Justice Oputa—“We are final not because we are infallible; rather, we are infallible because we are final”—as a reminder that judicial decisions are not immune to criticism. He also quoted former Chief Justice of Nigeria, Ibrahim Tanko Muhammad, who encouraged legal minds to call out judicial missteps.
Taking it a step further, Falana challenged Wike to pursue legal action if he believed any professional misconduct had occurred. “If Wike thinks I have breached the rules, he should go ahead and report me to the LPDC,” he said.
He also warned that the recent stance of the Supreme Court—requiring party registers to prove defections—could embolden politicians to continue with what he described as “political prostitution.”
Falana urged the court to stick with its earlier interpretations in cases such as Attorney-General of the Federation v. Abubakar and Abegunde v. Ondo State House of Assembly, where defection led to automatic loss of legislative seats.
He concluded by stating that Wike’s efforts to tarnish his image had fallen flat. “Mr. Wike’s allegations are baseless. His bid to turn the Supreme Court against me has failed,” Falana declared.
In a recent jab, Wike mocked Falana over a case he lost at the Supreme Court, calling him a “television lawyer.” But Falana dismissed the jibe, stating, “It’s no crime for a lawyer to lose a case. Only corrupt lawyers win every case.”
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