Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, SAN, has criticised the Nigerian Bar Association over its decision to invite former Liberian President George Weah to deliver a keynote address at the Association’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
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Falana, speaking at the conference on Monday, called on the leadership of the NBA to exercise greater scrutiny in selecting African leaders invited to address Nigerian lawyers, particularly on issues of democracy, judicial independence and the rule of law.
“Ladies and gentlemen, I’m delighted to be here. But let me say this, because you know I have to be frank with the audience. And this goes for the leadership of the Bar. I want to appeal that the Bar Association must stop — stop inviting dictators in Africa to come and address us,” Falana said.
His remarks came a day after Weah delivered the keynote address at the opening ceremony of the conference, where the former Liberian President stressed the importance of strong democratic institutions, an independent judiciary and a fearless legal profession.
Falana, however, argued that Weah’s record while serving as President of Liberia between 2018 and 2024 was inconsistent with the democratic and rule-of-law principles he advocated in his address.
According to the senior lawyer, Weah’s administration allegedly exercised such influence over Liberia’s judiciary that some Liberians were compelled to seek remedies before the ECOWAS Community Court of Justice.
“Mr. Weah, George Weah, who was here yesterday and was talking about the judiciary: in his country, his regime captured the judiciary to the extent that they had to contact some of us outside the country to get legal redress in the ECOWAS Court,” Falana alleged.
He cited a case involving members of the Mandingo community in Liberia, whose landed properties were allegedly seized during the country’s civil conflict.
Falana said the affected persons approached the ECOWAS Court and obtained judgment in their favour, but alleged that the Weah administration failed to implement the decision.
“The ECOWAS Court gave them judgment. George Weah refused to comply with the judgment. The new government of Boakai has just set up a committee for the enforcement of that judgment,” he said.
Falana also referred to the case of an associate justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia who was removed from office.
According to him, the matter was taken before the ECOWAS Court, which allegedly set aside the removal, awarded the judge $200,000 and ordered reinstatement.
“Again, we went to the ECOWAS Court. The ECOWAS Court set aside his dismissal and awarded him $200,000. He was ordered to be reinstated. Mr. George Weah refused to comply with the judgment,” Falana said.
Against that background, he questioned the propriety of inviting the former Liberian leader to lecture Nigerian lawyers on democracy, judicial independence and the rule of law.
“Now, that is the man coming here to talk to us about the rule of law and democracy,” he said.
Falana further made allegations about the prevalence of drug trafficking during Weah’s administration, claiming that drug-related activities became a serious problem in Liberia under the former President.
He also referred to the recent reported arrest and prosecution of a former Liberian Vice-President in connection with alleged drug trafficking and money laundering, using the development to reinforce his criticism of the country’s political leadership.
Those allegations remain subject to the applicable legal processes, and an arrest or prosecution does not amount to a finding of guilt.
Falana also criticised Weah over his attendance at the 2022 FIFA World Cup in Qatar, where his son, Timothy Weah, represented the United States.
According to Falana, the then Liberian President spent nine days outside his country while attending the tournament to support his son.
“So please, next time you want to invite African leaders, there are some of them that require inviting,” he told the NBA, arguing that the Association should instead identify African leaders whose records better reflect the democratic and institutional values promoted by the legal profession.
He pointed to Namibia, drawing attention to women occupying prominent leadership positions in the country, and also referenced the late former Premier of Nigeria’s Western Region, Chief Obafemi Awolowo, while discussing examples of leadership worthy of recognition.
Falana’s criticism came against the backdrop of Weah’s keynote address in which the former Liberian leader had strongly defended judicial independence and institutional democracy.
Weah told the gathering that “elections are the doorway into democracy, not the house itself,” arguing that democracy could not be reduced merely to conducting elections.
He warned that elected leaders could still undermine democracy by weakening the judiciary, legislature and other institutions.
The former Liberian President also declared that democracy could not survive on “strong men” but required strong institutions.
Weah urged judges and lawyers to remain impartial and courageous, stressing that an independent judiciary protected by a fearless and principled Bar was essential to preserving constitutional democracy.
He further warned against governments that profess democracy while manipulating institutions, interfering with judges or using state structures to weaken the rule of law.
His message at the conference centred substantially on institutional independence, democratic accountability and the responsibility of lawyers to protect justice against political interference.
Falana’s intervention therefore introduced a sharp contrast between Weah’s message to the Nigerian Bar and Falana’s assessment of the former President’s record while in office, with the Senior Advocate arguing that speakers invited to address the Bar on democratic values should themselves have records consistent with those principles.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who declared the conference open on Sunday, had similarly used the occasion to advocate an independent and courageous judiciary, urging judges to uphold truth and justice regardless of the status, political influence or social connections of parties appearing before them.
The 66th NBA Annual General Conference, holding in Port Harcourt under the theme “Beyond Limits,” has brought together lawyers, judges, political leaders, policymakers, civil society actors and international personalities for discussions on democracy, justice, security, governance and the future of the legal profession.
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