Human rights lawyer, Festus Ogun, has taken Lagos State Governor, Babajide Sanwo-Olu, to court over what he described as a violation of his fundamental rights after being blocked on the governor’s verified X (formerly Twitter) account.
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Ogun filed the suit at the Federal High Court in Lagos, arguing that Sanwo-Olu’s action denies him access to information, public engagement, and participation in governance through the governor’s official social media handle.
According to the lawyer, Sanwo-Olu, as a public official, has a constitutional duty to allow citizens access to information concerning the activities of his office. He maintained that blocking him on X amounts to an infringement of his rights to freedom of expression and access to information under Sections 39 and 14 of the 1999 Constitution, as well as Articles 9 and 13 of the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights.
Ogun is asking the court to declare the governor’s action unlawful and unconstitutional. He is also seeking an order compelling Sanwo-Olu to immediately unblock him and desist from restricting access to his social media accounts in the future.
The case has drawn public interest, as it raises wider questions about whether elected officials can lawfully restrict citizens from accessing their verified social media platforms, which are increasingly being used for official communication.
The Federal High Court is yet to fix a date for hearing the suit
