Chief Afe Babalola, Senior Advocate of Nigeria (SAN) and Founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), has withdrawn the criminal charges he filed against Duro Farotimi over alleged defamation.
The decision came after the intervention of the Ooni of Ife, His Imperial Majesty Oba Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, alongside other prominent Yoruba traditional rulers, during a meeting with the elder statesman on Sunday night in Aso Ekiti.
Babalola had filed criminal charges of defamation against Farotimi, a spokesman for Labour Party’s 2023 presidential candidate, Peter Obi, stemming from allegations made in Farotimi’s book, Nigeria and Its Criminal Justice System, where Babalola was accused of being corrupt and undermining the nation’s judicial system.
In a statement on Monday by the Ooni’s Palace Director of Media and Public Affairs, Otunba Moses Olafare, Oba Ogunwusi, confirmed that the criminal charges against Farotimi had been withdrawn, expressing satisfaction with the resolution reached after the meeting with Chief Afe Babalola.
The monarch was accompanied by several prominent Yoruba traditional rulers, including the Ewi of Ado, Oba Rufus Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, and the Ajero of Ijero, Oba Adewole Joseph Adebayo, the Ogoga of Ikere, Oba Samuel Adejinmi Adu, Alaaye of Efon Alaaye, Oba Dr. Emmanuel Aladejare Agunsoye II and the Olojudo of Ido Ekiti who doubles as Chairman, Ekiti Council Of Traditional Rulers, Oba Ilori Faboro.
The ABUAD founder however explained why he was left with no option than to concede to the request of revered Yoruba traditional rulers.
He said he is a thoroughbred Yoruba son who understands and respects the Yoruba culture and traditions.
According to the statement, the elder statesman did not hesitate to accept the request of Ooni and the traditional rulers saying he grew up as a child to understand the implications of such interventions by the traditional rulers.
In honour of the Ooni and the other Obas, Babalola declared his forgiveness of Farotimi while promising to instruct his lawyers to withdraw the criminal charges against him with immediate effect.
He was quoted as saying, “Today is a very important day for me, I’m a Yoruba man and I’m very proud to be one. Ewi of Ado has come here to meet me on this matter, former president Obasanjo has intervened, same with Bishop Matthew Kukah and a host of other prominent Nigerians to ask for the exact thing you have come to ask for this evening, my answer to them has been NO but today my answer is YES.
“Your coming is unquantifiable in terms of money, who Am I? When the colonialists came here in the 17th century or thereabouts, they found as a fact that Yoruba land was a highly organised society with an advanced system of government with each town headed by an Oba who was regarded as a replica of God on earth.
“His words were commands.”I was a lawyer who defended the EFCC law, yes I’m corrupt, I was given an oil block, when I looked at the money and saw that it was too much, I rejected it, yes I’m corrupt, I was offered ministerial appointments twice, I rejected it, yes I’m corrupt because whatever I am, I don’t want anybody to say I made it through corruption.
“Look at my books, I’m Chairman, Transparency International, based in Germany, I have given lectures against corruption with my papers in many universities globally.
“For someone to allege me that I have won my cases through corruption, it’s an attempt to defame me, that was why I rejected all appeals earlier made to me. But when I heard that Ooni was coming, I knew I’m in a fix today. “Nkan de o.
“There is nothing I’m going to gain from his (Dele) imprisonment and there’s nothing I want from the so called damages. I am not in quest of more wealth, I’m rather concerned on managing the one I have already. Dele Farotimi is hereby forgiven.
“On this occasion, I say yes”.
Earlier, Oba Ogunwusi noted that, having closely observed the circumstances surrounding the criminal case against Dele Farotimi, it became imperative to adopt the Alternative Dispute Resolution method, a practice deeply rooted in Yoruba tradition given that the matter is essentially a dispute between a father and his son.
Addressing the ABUAD founder, Oba Ogunwusi said, “We have come today to appeal to Aare Babalola to forgive his son, Dele Farotimi and what we want from him is to withdraw the criminal charges against Farotimi today.
“Aare Afe Babalola, you are an elder statesman, you have seen it all, you are one of the iconic voices in this country, a great man per excellence, you are a rare breed who has excelled in everything you have touched in this life, a very God fearing elder statesman, above all, you are one of the proponents of the Yoruba ethos of Omoluwabi which has been your strongest value that you hold in our country.
“This is what we are using to bring down the tempo in what has happened between you and your son Dele Farotimi.
“We have been very proud of you as a great Yoruba elder statesman. You have done great things for this race and Nigeria such that your name can never be forgotten.
“We’ve all come together as traditional Rulers to discuss with you on this issue and this gentleman Dele Farotimi is your son and you must forgive him and withdraw the criminal charges against him.
“As a father, you have soft sons and you have tough sons, Dele Farotimi is a tough son of yours. You have indeed made a point that your name cannot be messed with”.
