LAWYER FILES SUIT AGAINST SANWO-OLU FOR BLOCKING HIM ON X
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BY OWOLABI OLUWADARA
Human rights attorney, Festus Ogun, has initiated legal proceedings against Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, at the Federal High Court in Lagos for purportedly infringing upon his fundamental rights by restricting access to his verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
In the case designated FHC/L/CS/1739/25, which was disseminated by Ogun on Friday through his Facebook page, he contended that the governor’s action to block him since 2021 was provoked by his “constructive criticisms” and “call for accountability” regarding the October 2020 EndSARS incidents.
“In 2021, I observed that the Governor restricted me on his official X account @jidesanwoolu due to my constructive criticisms of his policies and my demand for accountability related to the October 2020 EndSARS Massacre,” Ogun stated.
He asserted that being blocked has hindered his access to crucial information.
“Blocking me on X has prevented me from accessing public updates and receiving information about policies and governance in Lagos, which constitutes a violation of my right to receive information without interference,” he said.
In his originating summons, the lawyer asked the court to declare the action unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.
According to the lawsuit, Ogun said he sought “a declaration that, as a democratically-elected public office holder in Nigeria, the Respondent (@jidesanwoolu)’s blocking of the Applicant (@mrfestusogun), a citizen of Nigeria and resident of Lagos State, on X (formerly ‘Twitter’) is wrongful, unconstitutional, arbitrary and constitutes a gross.”
He additionally requested the court to mandate Sanwo-Olu to remove the block, issue a public apology, and cease the harassment of online critics.
“An order of permanent injunction preventing the Respondent, his representatives, associates, or any other individual or entity acting on his behalf, from further obstructing the Applicant on X or any other social media platform,” the legal document stated.
Ogun, who characterized himself as “haunted, traumatized, and psychologically unsettled,” emphasized that the issue extended beyond his individual complaint. “This lawsuit is not solely about me. I have initiated this legal action in the interest of the public and with the expectation that it establishes a precedent in our digital rights legal framework,” he remarked.
The attorney also urged the court to consider a 2019 verdict from the United States.
“I encouraged the Nigerian court to be influenced by the ruling of the US District Court in Knight First Amendment Institute v Trump, wherein President Trump was determined to have violated the First Amendment by blocking US citizens for criticizing him on Twitter,” he articulated.
Ogun contended that intolerance towards dissenting opinions undermines democracy. “Intolerance to criticism and the demand for accountability is both unconstitutional and undemocratic. Nigerian authorities persist in suppressing dissenters, critics, journalists, bloggers, and outspoken citizens on social media through measures such as arrests, detentions, surveillance, collaboration with major tech companies, and outright blocking, as tools. That narrative must come to an end,” he cautioned.
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