KEY POINTS
- Wale Odusola a lawyer from Ondo faced legal charges because he defamed Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa.
- A court provided bail yet postponed the trial to occur on May 5, 2025.
- Activists deem the practice of criminalizing criticism as dangerous for free speech and ineffective for the government.
The Akure Magistrate’s Court in Ondo State recently heard charges against lawyer Wale Odusola for his use of social media to abuse Governor Lucky Aiyedatiwa through words and mental harassment.
The prosecution stands on evidence that shows Odusola posted on Facebook to blame the governor for both abandoning his district and cheating on his wife with Wunmi Isaac.
Court releases defendant on bail as the court proceedings continue on another day
Police prosecutor Ayodeji Aderintoye suggested that Odusola violated several laws including the Cybercrime (Prohibition, etc.) Act when he made comments which might cause public unrest and endanger the governor’s reputation.
The accused entered a plea of not guilty before his defense attorney Ebiseni asked for bail since the offense has a provision for bail. After giving him bail through self-recognition Magistrate Sunday Adedapo scheduled the court hearing for May 5, 2025.
People question the legitimacy of making prosecution a response to public opposition
Tope Temokun from the rights advocacy sector denounced the governor’s behavior by viewing it as a flawed priority which risks free speech liberties.
Aiyedatiwa drew criticism because he chose to use courtroom measures to silence those who criticized him while his administration remained unattended to.
Temokun expressed his disappointment with this new governor for filing criminal complaints against social media critics while governance needs to be his central focus.
The activist demanded the governor should abandon this court case so he could work on achieving lasting accomplishments.
