Lere Olayinka, the Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister, Nyesom Wike, has taken a swipe at human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, questioning his qualification for the prestigious legal rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN).
In a statement issued on Monday, Olayinka accused Falana of misleading the public and challenged him to provide a list of major legal victories that earned him the SAN title, describing him as a “self-appointed human rights lawyer.”
“It is funny and ridiculous that in the mind of Falana, only those who have handled cases in trial court or appellate court are lawyers, and that a lawyer must have handled cases in trial or appellate court to be qualified for appointment as a Life Bencher,” Olayinka stated.
While accusing Falana of offering nothing beyond media commentary, Olayinka defended Wike’s appointment to the Body of Benchers, asserting that it was based on merit and contributions to legal education.
“Apart from going on television to make noise, what has Falana contributed to the legal profession? Even the SAN that he got was it not an afterthought? Was it not years after his mates had gotten SAN?” he asked.
Explaining Wike’s role in the development of legal institutions, Olayinka noted the former governor’s investments in the Nigerian Law School, including infrastructure in Port Harcourt and Yenagoa, and ongoing projects in the FCT.
“Now that he is FCT Minister, he is constructing a 10-unit housing quarters for the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja. He has also provided operational vehicles to the school to improve its operation,” he said.
In contrast, Olayinka claimed Falana had made no tangible contribution to the legal profession, not even in his home state of Ekiti.
“The Bar Center in Ado Ekiti was built by Aare Afe Babalola (SAN) while the one in Ikere Ekiti was built by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN). Also, Aare Afe Babalola has been sponsoring Nigerian Bar Association annual lecture for years and has been assisting lawyers in Ekiti with medical treatments in his Ado Ekiti teaching hospital. What has Falana done? Nothing!”
“Did Falana not fail as a politician when he went to Ekiti to contest for governor and failed woefully?”
He further accused Falana of misrepresenting facts regarding the Supreme Court’s ruling on the Rivers State House of Assembly crisis.
“It was on the basis of the Supreme Court judgment that Justice Emmanuel Obile of the Federal High Court, Port Harcourt dismissed the suit filed by the Labour Party against the alleged detection, saying that the Supreme Court’s ruling had finalised the issue of defection,” he said, adding that Falana lied on national television about the verdict.
He also criticised Falana’s legal interpretations, particularly his alleged claim that three lawmakers could conduct legislative duties in a 32-member house.
“If as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria, you could tell your client that Section 96 (1) of the Constitution of Nigeria is useless and in a House of Assembly of 32 members, three can sit, questions need to be asked as to how exactly you qualified as a Senior Advocate of Nigeria,” he said.
This comes after Falana recently described Wike as “the only Life Bencher in Nigeria who has never handled a case in any trial or appellate court.”