The senior lawyer questioned the decision to invite Liberia’s former president to address the Nigerian legal profession, citing concerns over judicial independence and compliance with regional court judgments.
By Wapcodehub9ja LIVE News Desk Reporting from Port Harcourt, Rivers State, Nigeria
Human rights lawyer and Senior Advocate of Nigeria, Femi Falana, has questioned the Nigerian Bar Association’s decision to invite former Liberian President George Weah as a keynote speaker at its 66th Annual General Conference in Port Harcourt, Rivers State.
Falana raised his concerns during the conference, challenging the NBA to be more selective in choosing African political figures invited to address members of the legal profession.
His comments followed Weah’s keynote address at the conference, where the former Liberian leader spoke about the importance of an independent judiciary and the responsibility of lawyers and judges to uphold justice without fear or favour.
Falana alleged that judicial independence in Liberia was undermined during Weah’s presidency, which lasted from 2018 to 2024. He referred to cases before the ECOWAS Court and alleged that judgments involving Liberia were not implemented by the government at the time.
Among the matters he raised was a case involving members of the Mandingo community. Falana said the regional court had ruled in their favour and alleged that the judgment was not enforced during Weah’s administration. He also referred to a separate case involving a former associate justice of Liberia’s Supreme Court and said the ECOWAS Court had ordered his reinstatement and awarded compensation. These claims were presented by Falana in his remarks and should be understood as allegations attributed to him.
The lawyer also raised allegations concerning drug trafficking and criticised Weah over his conduct while serving as Liberia’s president. These claims were made by Falana during his address and were reported by The Punch; Wapcodehub9ja has not independently established the allegations and therefore does not present them as independently verified facts.
Falana’s intervention created a sharp contrast with the message delivered by Weah at the NBA conference. The former Liberian president urged legal professionals to protect judicial independence, arguing that democracy depends on strong institutions rather than the influence of powerful individuals.
Rivers State Governor Siminalayi Fubara, who declared the conference open, also called for an independent judiciary and urged judges to uphold the truth regardless of political or social considerations.
The NBA’s 66th Annual General Conference, themed “Beyond Limits,” is taking place in Port Harcourt from August 21 to August 28, 2026, bringing together members of the legal profession and other participants for discussions on law, democracy, governance and wider national issues.
Falana’s remarks have therefore placed the question of who should address the Nigerian legal profession at major professional gatherings back into public discussion, particularly where questions of democratic institutions, judicial independence and accountability are involved.
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