Lagos Lawyer Sues Sanwo-Olu for Blocking Him on X

Lagos-based human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has filed a lawsuit against Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu for blocking him on the social media platform, X (formerly Twitter).

Ogun described the governor’s action as a violation of his constitutional right to freedom of expression and an attempt at censorship by a public official.

Announcing the suit on his verified X handle, the lawyer posted a copy of the court summons and wrote:
“I have now sued Sanwo-Olu for blocking me on Twitter. I asked the court to compel him to unblock and apologise to me. Truly, I have gone through mental stress and trauma over this matter, but I will not ask for damages, so I won’t be seen as a gold-digger. Just unblock me.”

The lawsuit, filed under the Fundamental Rights Enforcement Procedure (FREP), seeks a judicial determination on whether sections 37 and 39 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Article 9 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, prevent a public officer such as a governor from blocking citizens on social media.

Legal experts note that while blocking on social media by private individuals does not ordinarily breach constitutional rights, the case may carry weight because it involves a public official, who is duty-bound to engage with citizens.

Governor Sanwo-Olu is expected to respond to the summons within 30 days.