A human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has filed a lawsuit against the Governor of Lagos State, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, for blocking him on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter), claiming it infringes on his fundamental rights and caused emotional distress.
The suit, which was filed at the Federal High Court in Lagos, accuses the governor of acting in a manner that is unconstitutional, arbitrary, and discriminatory.
Ogun contends that as a public official who operates verified social media accounts in an official capacity, Sanwo-Olu’s decision to block him over political criticism violates his right to freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination based on political opinion.
According to the court filing, Ogun is asking for a declaration that the blocking was unlawful and a violation of his constitutional rights.
He also wants the court to order Sanwo-Olu to unblock his X account and issue a public apology to be posted on the governor’s verified X handle.
Ogun claims that the governor’s action has caused him significant emotional trauma and mental distress.
In his statement, Ogun referenced his criticism of the governor’s policies and his call for accountability following the October 2020 #EndSARS protest and the events at the Lekki Toll Gate, which he said led to his being blocked in 2021.
He argues that this response from a public official sets a dangerous precedent for democratic engagement and civic discourse.
The lawyer is also seeking a perpetual injunction to prevent Sanwo-Olu, his agents, or representatives from blocking him or any citizen on social media platforms used for official communication.
“A DECLARATION that, as a democratically-elected public office holder in Nigeria, the Respondent (@jidesanwoolu)’s blocking of the Applicant (@mrfestusogun), a citizen of Nigeria and resident of Lagos State, on X (formerly Twitter) is wrongful, unconstitutional, arbitrary and constitutes a gross violation of the Applicant’s fundamental right to freedom of expression,” the suit reads.
“A declaration that the Respondent’s blocking of the Applicant on X. owing to the Applicant’s political opinion and criticism of the Respondent, is wrongful, unconstitutional, arbitrary and constitutes a gross violation of Applicant’s fundamental right to freedom from discrimination on the basis of political opinion.”
