Festus Ogun, a Lagos-based human rights lawyer, has filed a lawsuit against Lagos State Governor Babajide Sanwo-Olu over his decision to block him on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).
In the suit before the Federal High Court in Lagos, Ogun described the governor’s action as “wrongful, unconstitutional, arbitrary and a gross violation” of his fundamental rights, particularly freedom of expression and freedom from discrimination based on political opinion.
He argued that as a democratically elected public official, Sanwo-Olu cannot lawfully restrict citizens from engaging with his verified social media accounts, which he uses in his official capacity.
Ogun is seeking a court order compelling the governor to issue a public apology on X, unblock his account, and desist from blocking him or any other citizen on official social media platforms. He also asked the court to restrain Sanwo-Olu, his agents, or representatives from taking similar actions in the future.
In his filings, the lawyer recalled discovering in 2021 that the governor had blocked him after he criticized government policies and demanded accountability over the October 2020 #EndSARS protest crackdown.
The case is expected to test the boundaries of public officials’ use of social media and citizens’ digital rights in Nigeria.
