The Kwara State Government has instituted a criminal defamation suit against former Senate President, Dr. Abubakar Bukola Saraki, accusing him of publishing statements that allegedly defamed Governor Abdulrahman AbdulRazaq.
The case, filed at the Kwara State High Court in Ilorin, centres on a social media post by Saraki dated April 17, 2026, in which he reportedly questioned the educational qualifications of the Governor, specifically claiming that Governor AbdulRazaq did not attain secondary school education. The government described the statements as false, insulting, derogatory, and capable of provoking public disturbance, contrary to Section 399 of the Kwara State Penal Code.
The suit, brought by the Kwara State Attorney-General and Commissioner for Justice, Senior Ibrahim Sulyman, alongside the Director of Public Prosecutions, Ayoola Idowu Akande, and Assistant Chief State Counsel B.L. Abdulsalam, also frames the publication as constituting cyberbullying.
During proceedings on June 18, 2026, before Justice M.O. Folorunso, counsel to Dr. Saraki, led by Jimoh Mumini, SAN, raised a preliminary objection challenging the jurisdiction of the state High Court, arguing that the matter falls under the Federal High Court. The court adjourned the matter to July 3, 2026, for hearing of the preliminary objection and possible arraignment of the defendant.
In response, Saraki’s media office described the lawsuit as an attempt to harass and intimidate opposition voices. They maintained that the statements in question were a legitimate exercise of freedom of speech and the right of reply as leader of the opposition.
The development has sparked public debate on the balance between free speech and protection against defamation in Nigeria’s democratic space.