By Joe Udo
LAGOS (CONVERSEER) – A human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has filed a lawsuit against Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for blocking him on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), alleging that the action infringes on his constitutional rights and caused him emotional distress.
The suit, filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, accuses the governor of acting in a manner that is “unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.”
Ogun argues that as a democratically elected public official who operates verified social media accounts in an official capacity, Sanwo-Olu’s decision to block him over political criticism violates his right to freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination based on political opinion.
Reliefs Sought
According to the filing, the lawyer is asking the court to declare the blocking unlawful and a breach of his rights. He is also seeking an order compelling Sanwo-Olu to unblock his account, issue a public apology on his verified X handle, and refrain from blocking any citizen on platforms used for official communication.
“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 violation of the Applicant’s fundamental right to freedom of expression,” part of the suit reads.
Ogun further claims that the governor’s action has caused him emotional trauma and mental distress.
Link to #EndSARS Criticism
The lawyer traced the block to his criticisms of Sanwo-Olu’s policies and his calls for accountability following the October 2020 #EndSARS protests and the events at the Lekki Toll Gate, which he said led to his being blocked in 2021.
He argues that such a response from a public official sets a dangerous precedent for democratic engagement and civic discourse in Nigeria.
Sanwo-Olu and his team have yet to respond to the lawsuit.
