Nigerians must be worried at the disturbing trend of partisanship and mob justice that have crept into our discourse on issues. Nigerians are quick to take sides, often based on sentiment rather than substance, particularly when the mighty and powerful are involved.
Ngozi Okonjo-Iweala in her book, “Fighting Corruption Is Dangerous” at Page 69-70 recounted thus: “By January 2016, the allegations of (her) involvement had been picked up by a politically connected lawyer, Mr Femi Falana, who without any facts, included my name in a list of names of “indicted” people he sent to the International Criminal Court in the Hague demanding their prosecution for crime against humanity “.
Summary: the learned senior advocate came to a conclusion that injured the reputation of Ngozi Iweala but which many Nigerians had applauded in the typical tradition of vilifying the mighty.
Recently, the table would turn against the learned senior advocate: Martins Ortse (popularly known as VDM) alleged that Femi Falana took money from Bobrisky to help him get a presidential pardon. Without a fair assessment of his human rights and public records, some Nigerians actually took him to the cleaners, chanting VDM as their new found hero.
I watched with dismay how some Nigerians on social media judged the situation and made very unfair comments aimed at tarnishing the image and the person of Falana who to my knowledge has contributed so much to the protection of the welfare of Nigerians through his legal practice.
For this category of Nigerians, it is always a case of championing the cause of the perceived underdog while vilifying the mighty.
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Today, the social media is abuzz with the name of Chief Afe Babalola, accompanied by a chorus of scorn and bitter condemnation. It’s alarming to see how hastily Nigerians have passed judgment on this esteemed elder-statesman without the benefit of hearing from him.
In our haste to condemn, we often overlook the importance of due process and the presumption of innocence until proven guilty. How many Nigerians have cared to read the facts of the case and the circumstances in which those allegations were made? Does it mean that whoever has the guts to defame the mighty and lower his esteem is a fearless speaker of truth?
It seems that in our eagerness to applaud those who dare to speak truth to power, we often forget to scrutinize the veracity of their claims. Not everyone who defames the mighty is a fearless truth sayer. Some may be driven by malice, personal agendas, or a desire for attention.