Rivers crisis: Only corrupt lawyers win all cases – Falana hits back at Wike

A frontline human rights lawyer, Femi Falana, SAN, has responded to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Nyesom Wike’s recent attack on his person.
Falana described the former Rivers State Governor as “the only Life Bencher in Nigeria who has never handled a case in any trial or appellate court.”
This was in response to Wike’s recent media attack, where the Minister said the senior lawyer was being economical with the truth about a Supreme Court judgment on the defection of 27 lawmakers from the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP, to the All Progressives Congress, APC.
During the same interview, Wike taunted Falana, saying he lost the case and labelled him “a television lawyer.”
In a statement titled “I Did Not Lie Against the Supreme Court of Nigeria,” Falana dismissed Wike’s claims,, stating “It is no crime for a lawyer to lose a case in court. Only a corrupt lawyer wins all cases in all courts.
Falana said he felt compelled to respond to Wike through a rebuttal after the Minister’s renewed outburst during his recent media briefing.
He added that contrary to Wike’s claims, there is video and affidavit evidence confirming the lawmakers’ defection to the APC.
“It is public knowledge that Mr. Wike celebrated the Supreme Court judgment with a thanksgiving service. Yet, he attacks me for commenting on the same ruling,” Falana said.
He challenged Wike to report him to the Legal Practitioners Disciplinary Committee if he believed there was any professional misconduct.
“Unlike Mr. Wike who insults judges when rulings don’t align with his politics, I’ve always critiqued court decisions with respect and good faith,” Falana asserted.
He also pointed to legal precedents and past statements by respected jurists, including the late Justice Oputa and former Chief Justice Tanko Muhammad, who welcomed critical engagement from the bar.
Falana warned that the recent Supreme Court position on defection— requiring the production of a political party’s register, could embolden “unpatriotic politicians” and encourage “political prostitution.”
“In the interest of political stability and national morality, I urge the Supreme Court to continue to uphold its earlier positions in cases like Attorney-General of the Federation v. Abubakar and Dapialong v. Dariye,” he added.
The senior lawyer added that the Minister’s attack had failed in its “desperate bid to incite the Justices of the Supreme Court.”
Falana said that Wike must be stopped from parading himself as the unsolicited defender of the judiciary in Nigeria.
Rivers crisis: Only corrupt lawyers win all cases – Falana hits back at Wike