In a startling revelation, a classified United States diplomatic cable released by Wikileaks has brought to light allegations that prominent Nigerian legal figure, Chief Afe Babalola, and former President Olusegun Obasanjo, were implicated in securing a Court of Appeal ruling through bribery in 2004. The ruling favoured then- Governor Boni Haruna of Adamawa State, ensuring he retained his position amidst allegations of electoral malpractices.....Read Full Article>>
According to the cable, an attorney working for Governor Haruna, who was affiliated with Afe Babalola, claimed that the favourable judgment was achieved through financial inducements. The attorney revealed that when President Obasanjo assigned Babalola to handle the appeal, cash was also allocated for the judges.
The document detailed the delivery of ₦30 million (approximately $225, 000) to each of the five judges on the tribunal. The attorney, who accompanied the delivery, noted that this approach was a ” typical Nigerian fashion” for handling high- stakes cases. The allegation, though unverified by the US Embassy, highlighted discrepancies between the tribunal’ s initial ruling and the appellate court’ s judgment.
The March 24, 2004, election tribunal had nullified Haruna’ s election on the grounds of substantial electoral malpractices. The tribunal found ” beyond reasonable doubt” that violations of the Electoral Law occurred. However, the appellate court in Jos overturned this decision, dismissing the evidence as inadequate and unconvincing.
The US diplomatic cable expressed concerns over the stark differences between the rulings, raising suspicions of external influence. It noted that both courts operated under the same legal frameworks, yet their conclusions were diametrically opposed, prompting doubts about judicial integrity.
Boni Haruna, a member of the ruling Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) and a close ally of then- Vice President Atiku Abubakar, served as governor from 1999 to 2007. The controversy underscores a troubling history of judicial manipulation in Nigeria, where money and power often undermine justice.
Chief Afe Babalola, already a figure of significant influence in Nigeria’ s legal and political landscape, has faced recent backlash over allegations of abusing police authority to target human rights lawyer, Dele Farotimi. Farotimi was arrested in Lagos and transported to Ekiti State over alleged defamation in his book Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System.
Arraigned on 16 charges, Farotimi pleaded not guilty and remains in detention as bail was denied. His legal team has filed a fresh bail application, citing constitutional guarantees of innocence until proven guilty, and arguing that he poses no flight risk given his longstanding professional and social ties.
The arrest and ongoing detention of Farotimi have drawn widespread condemnation. Rights groups and activists, including Omoyele Sowore of the #RevolutionNow movement, have linked Babalola’ s alleged history of impropriety to the current situation. Sowore described the Wikileaks revelations as proof of Babalola’ s compromised reputation and criticised the use of state power to suppress dissent.
The leaked cable, classified by US diplomat Russells J. Hanks, was among thousands of confidential documents published by Wikileaks. These cables have often exposed political and judicial malfeasance globally. The document described the Nigerian judiciary’ s susceptibility to corruption, particularly in cases with political stakes.
Farotimi’ s legal team, led by Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) Prof. O. F. Emiri, is pressing for bail, citing constitutional and human rights protections. The team emphasised Farotimi’ s 25- year legal career and commitment to standing trial. The court is expected to hear the application on December 10.
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