Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Federal Capital Territory (FCT) Minister Nyesom Wike, has come under fire after he verbally attacked renowned rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN.

Olayinka?s faceoff with the respected legal luminary stemmed from Falana?s comments on a recent Supreme Court ruling on the defection of 27 members of the Rivers State House of Assembly, and gradually aggravated to exchange of banters between Falana and Wike.

Recently, Falana said: ?Mr. Wike is the only life bencher in Nigeria who has never handled a case in any trial court or appellate court.?

Responding to Falana?s comment about Wike, Olayinka blasted the respected lawyer in a statement, he said: ?It is funny and ridiculous that in the mind of Falana, only those who have handled cases in trial court or appellate court are lawyers, and that a lawyer must have handled cases in trial or appellate court to be qualified for appointment as a life bencher.

?Apart from going on television to make noise, what has Falana contributed to the legal profession? Even the SAN that he got, was it not an afterthought? Was it not years after his mates had gotten SAN?

?As Governor of Rivers State, Wike was instrumental to the establishment and infrastructural development of the campus of the Nigerian Law School in Port Harcourt, which is the best centre for legal education in Nigeria today.

?He also played major roles in the development of facilities at the Yenagoa campus of the Nigerian Law School by constructing a state-of-the-art 1,500-capacity hall and 200-bed male and female hostels, among other interventions.

?Now that he is FCT minister, he is constructing a 10-unit housing quarters for the Nigerian Law School, Bwari, Abuja. He has also provided operational vehicles to the school to improve its operation.

?The question is, what has Falana done for the legal profession? Even in Ekiti State, where he is from, he has not contributed anything.

?The Bar Center in Ado Ekiti was built by Aare Afe Babalola (SAN), while the one in Ikere Ekiti was built by Chief Wole Olanipekun (SAN).

?Also, Aare Afe Babalola has been sponsoring the Nigerian Bar Association?s annual lecture for years and has been assisting lawyers in Ekiti with medical treatments in his Ado Ekiti teaching hospital. What has Falana done? Nothing!?

Reacting to the Lere Olayinka?s statement about Falana, newspaper publisher and human rights activist, Comrade Olatunji Babatunde described Lere?s comment as ?respectful, na?ve and uncultured?, argued that Falana is one of the most respected and selfless lawyers in Nigeria, citing his passion for justice, his law chamber that accommodates and trains up-and-coming lawyers and his free legal services to poor and oppressed Nigerians.

Baring his mind in a statement, Comrade Babatunde said: ?What is the value of the so-called Lere Olayinka in the political space and to his profession, journalism?

?Let Wike collect that appointment from him and let us see if he has a second address.

?What has he achieved as a journalist other than jumping from one political appointment to the other and being fed fat with public funds.

?It is both unfortunate and misguided to attempt to diminish the decades-long contributions of Mr. Femi Falana, SAN, to the legal profession and to human rights advocacy in Nigeria. While constructive criticism is healthy in a democracy, personal attacks and unfounded claims do little to advance public discourse or the integrity of the legal community.

?Mr. Falana is not a ?self-appointed? human rights lawyer, his reputation was earned through consistent, fearless defense of civil liberties, often in difficult and politically charged environments where few others dared to speak. His numerous legal interventions, many of which have shaped public policy and constitutional interpretation, are a matter of public record. He has defended citizens across socio-economic lines, fought for the rule of law, and held government institutions accountable, often at personal and professional risk.

?The suggestion that he must list the number of major cases he has won in order to justify his elevation to the rank of Senior Advocate of Nigeria ignores the broad criteria upon which SANship is awarded. It is not solely about court victories, it is also about contribution to the development of law, mentorship, scholarship, and service to the legal profession. Falana has excelled in all these areas, including public interest litigation, pro bono legal services, and extensive writing and speaking engagements that have shaped legal thought in Nigeria and beyond.?

Further berating FCT Minister, Wike, Babatunde asserted: ?Wike in contrast claimed to be a lawyer. He should come to tell us where he practiced, which chamber or law firm before his foray into politics. Wike has been in the political corridors of power uninterruptedly since 1998, moving from one position to another. So, Wike?s address has been in politics. You can?t give him accolades for personal or professional accomplishment.?

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