Falana slams NBA for inviting ex-Liberian President Weah, questions his democracy record

Human rights lawyer Femi Falana has sharply criticized the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for inviting former Liberian President George Weah to address its 66th Annual General Conference. Falana urged the NBA leadership to cease inviting leaders he described as "dictators" from African countries to speak at its events.

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I want to appeal that the Bar Association must stop inviting dictators in Africa to come and address us.

Falana questioned Weah's record on democracy, the rule of law, and judicial independence during his presidency from 2018 to 2024. He alleged that Weah's administration "captured" the Liberian judiciary, forcing citizens seeking justice to look outside the country for legal recourse, citing the ECOWAS Court.

During the conference, Weah himself had warned that democratically elected leaders can gradually become dictators by weakening the judiciary and legislature. He stressed that strong institutions, an independent judiciary, and a fearless Bar are essential for preserving democratic governance, cautioning that "a tyrant with a certificate of return is still a tyrant."

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Democracy does not survive on the strength of elections alone. Elections are neither the doorway into democracy nor the house itself. What holds the house up… are institutions.

However, Falana argued that Weah lacked the moral authority to lecture Nigerian lawyers on these issues. He pointed to specific allegations, including the alleged seizure of land from the Mandingo people in Liberia and the subsequent inability to secure justice within the country due to the state of the judiciary. Falana also mentioned Weah's administration's alleged disobedience of ECOWAS Court judgments.

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A tyrant with a certificate of return is still a tyrant.