Legal scholar and activist Barrister Mayomi Afekuha has criticised Mr. Peter Obi, a former presidential candidate, for what he sees as an emotional social media campaign meant to undermine the authority of the courts in relation to a property dispute that is presently pending in court.
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Obi had previously claimed, without providing evidence, that his younger brother’s Lagos property had been illegally demolished in a post on his social media accounts.
He mentioned that the property, which belonged to his brother’s business, had stood for more than fifteen years prior to its demolition.
The former governor of Anambra claimed that unknown individuals demolished his brother’s home in violation of a court order that failed to specify who was to blame or identify the property in question.
The post was criticised by Barrister Afekuha, who called it “a biassed and sentimental account carefully crafted to manipulate public opinion” on a matter that is currently under litigation.
The land is supposedly owned by Mr. Obi’s family, but he later claims it is actually his brother’s, and then he links it to a business. Which one, then? “Despite the lack of evidence presented in court, he is trying to appeal to the public’s emotions,” he said.
According to Afekuha, Obi’s behaviour was characterised as “irresponsible” and “a dangerous abuse of influence.” He cautioned that this could lead to other prominent figures relying on public sympathy rather than following legal procedures.
It is plainly stated that the court judgement in favour of Mrs. Olorunlogbon and the suit number are known to Mr. Obi. Instead of contesting it on Instagram, he suggested his relatives take it to court if they disagreed.
Among the things he pointed out was that the legal process had adhered to due process, which included multiple public notices, and that Mrs. Olorunlogbon possesses genuine Certificates of Occupancy and a court judgement certifying her ownership of the property.
“Mr. Obi is participating in a media trial instead of requesting a stay of execution or presenting credible evidence. “This undermines faith in our judicial system and verges on contempt of court,” he cautioned.
Afekuha called on all Nigerians to uphold the rule of law and cautioned prominent politicians against injecting their personal views into court cases.
Electoral defeat in 2023 for Peter Obi. That part of the story is over. His main point was that the judiciary should stay out of politics.