Falana blasts NBA for inviting former Liberian President Weah to annual conference
Human rights lawyer Femi Falana, SAN, has criticized the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for inviting former Liberian President George Weah to speak at its annual conference.
In a video shared on the NBA’s YouTube channel, Falana contended that Weah’s presidency undermined judicial independence and frequently disregarded court rulings. Weah delivered a keynote address at the NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State, during which he remarked, “a tyrant with a Certificate of Return remains a tyrant.”
Falana urged the NBA to exercise caution when inviting African leaders, suggesting that many of them do not uphold democratic values or the rule of law. “I want to appeal that the Bar Association must stop inviting dictators in Africa to come and address us,” he stated during his remarks.
The senior lawyer further claimed that during Weah’s administration from 2018 to 2024, the judiciary in Liberia was compromised, forcing citizens to seek justice from the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) Court.
