Tensions flared on the 4th of December 2024, as the aides of former Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate, Atiku Abubakar, and the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, clashed over the controversial arrest of human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi.
Atiku’s spokesperson, Paul Ibe, criticized the arrest as a dangerous echo of Nigeria’s authoritarian past.
Describing it as an attack on free speech, Ibe remarked that President Bola Tinubu’s administration appeared to be steering the nation back to the “military era of dictatorship.”
The arrest, executed by officers from the Nigeria Police Force’s Zone 2 Command in Lagos, stemmed from a defamation petition filed by Tony Elumelu, the Chairman of the United Bank for Africa (UBA) Group.
The lawyer’s apprehension followed his public claims of receiving threats from powerful political figures in Nigeria.
Taking to X (formerly Twitter), Ibe denounced the development, stating: “The arrest of Dele Farotimi @DeleFarotimi stands condemned. He should be unconditionally released.
“What we are witnessing under this administration, especially as it relates to efforts at curtailing freedom of speech, is a throwback to the era of military dictatorship. #ReleaseDeleFarotimi.”
However, Wike’s spokesperson, Lere Olayinka, fired back, accusing Ibe and Atiku of playing ethnic politics.
In a sharp retort on the same platform, Olayinka wrote: “Coming from someone whose principal, because of politics and ethnicity, deleted his tweet condemning the murder of Deborah in Sokoto.”
The heated exchange highlights deep political and ideological divides as freedom of expression comes under scrutiny in Nigeria’s political landscape.