Afe Babalola to withdraw suit against Farotimi

Legal luminary and founder of Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti, Aare Afe Babalola has expressed his willingness to withdraw the ongoing criminal defamation case against civil rights activist Dele Farotimi.

Afe Babalola declared at a meeting with the Ooni of Ife on Sunday night that he has forgiven Farotimi and will instruct his lawyers to withdraw the suit, saying, “I hereby withdraw the criminal charges against Farotimi.”.

According to Otunba Moses Olafare, Director, Media and Public Affairs to the Ooni of Ife, Arole Oduduwa Olofin Adimula, Ooni Adeyeye Enitan Ogunwusi, CFR, Ojaja II said Otunba Moses Olafare, the decision by Afe Babalola to withdraw the suit followed the intervention of the Ooni in company of about prominent Yoruba traditional rulers in Ekiti state.

The statement said that the traditional rulers in Ekiti state were at the Afe Babalola University, Ado Ekiti (ABUAD), last Sunday night to appeal to the founder of the university, Aare Afe Babalola, to forgive the human rights lawyer and activist Dele Farotimi and withdraw the ongoing criminal case instituted against him.

The statement reads, “Ooni Ogunwusi arrived in Ado Ekiti at about 10:08 pm last night into the waiting hands of Aare Afe Babalola himself, accompanied by the Vice Chancellor Professor Elisabeta Smaranda Olarinde, Bursar Pastor Joseph Modupe Babalola, the school PRO, Deans of various faculties at the university, and the legal team handling Farotimi’s criminal case.

The statement said, “The Ooni briefed the journalists on the outcome of the meeting, which was held closed door between Afe Babalola and the Ooni.

The Ooni was accompanied to the meeting by Ewi of Ado, Oba Rufus Adejugbe Aladesanmi III, 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 Ooni said that having watched the scenarios surrounding the criminal case instituted against Dele Farotimi with rapt attention, it has become very imperative to apply the Alternative Dispute Resolution method, which the Yoruba race was known for in the past, because it’s a case between a father and son.

“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; and 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 of 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.”.

While responding to the request by the Royal Father, he said he had not only forgiven Dele Farotimi but also instructed his lawyers to withdraw the criminal charges against him with immediate effect because of the honour for the Ooni and the other Obas.

He said 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.”

In the Middle Ages, the Greeks had a saying: “The meadow that grows on the bank of a river that obeys the direction of the flood remains strong forever, but the meadow that grows that disobeys the direction of the flood was broken asunder.”.

The Senior Advocate of Nigeria concluded his response with an adage in Yoruba saying, “Ẹni ti o ba ni nnkan lati se, kii wo elegan rara,” meaning “those who change the world for the better do not wait to respond to criticism.”

He said he had listened to the Ooni’s advice, and he certainly didn’t want to be a meadow by the riverside, which disobeyed the flood. He said, “I was a lawyer who defended the EFCC law; yes, I’m corrupt. I was given an oil block, and 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, and I have given lectures against corruption with my papers in many universities globally.

“For someone to allege 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 was in a fix today. “Nnkan 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 about managing the one I have already. Dele Farotimi is hereby forgiven. On this occasion, I say “YES”.