Wale Ojo-Lanre, a child rights activist, has sued Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi for allegedly using a toddler in a political rally in Lagos ahead of the 2023 general elections.
Mr. Ojo-Lanre filed the originating motion on notice before a family court in the Ikeja Division of the High Court of Lagos on October 27.
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According to the News Agency of Nigeria, Mr Ojo-Lanre is suing the respondents as a “concerned Nigerian and litigation friend” of the toddler.
The Labour Party, Queen (mother of the minor), the federal government, and the federation’s attorney general are all named as respondents in the ID/6332GCM/2022 complaint.
The petitioner is requesting N50 million in damages from the first, second, and third respondents for violations of the child’s rights.
According to Mr. Ojo-Lanre, it is illegal, deceptive, unlawful, exploitative, and abusive for the presidential candidate to publish a video of the toddler on October 2 and refer to her as “a poster child” on his Twitter handle.
“The first defendant allowed participation and usage of a toddler in an adult political rally, which took place on the street of Lagos on October 1. This is contrary to sections 29 and 33 of the Child Rights Act of Lagos State and Article 36 of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Children, 1981.
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“We seek an order for the first and second respondents to delete their respective tweets and several other posts on their social media accounts in reference to the underage girl-child. We also seek an order mandating the fourth and fifth respondents to withdraw the toddler from the care and custody of the third respondent, the activist explained.
Mr Ojo-Lanre said he was seeking a court order to foster the child “to any welfare home under the accreditation and supervision of the federal ministry of women affairs or other appropriate authorities for proper care, education, protection and upbringing until she turns 18 years.”
“In addition, we seek an order to disqualify the second respondent from participating in the 2023 presidential election for condoning, adopting, encouraging and allowing the usage of the toddler for his rally,” stated Mr Ojo-Lanre.
The activist also urged the court to prevent the first, second and third respondents from posting, circulating and printing the picture of the child.
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“The fourth and fifth respondents should initiate criminal complaints, arrest and prosecution of the first, second and third respondents for alleged exploitation and flagrant violation of the toddler’s rights,” he submitted.
Obi posted a video of the toddler in a Labour Party campaign train on his Twitter page on October 2.
The toddler, who was carried up in the video by a man who appeared to be her father or male guardian, was dressed in a Nigerian jersey and was holding a small Labour Party flag.
“The fight to take Nigeria back is for the sake of this little girl, Chioma, and for the sake of every Nigerian child – Amina, Yinka, Akpan, Abdul, Asake- including the unborn children. Chioma is now the poster child of this seminal campaign and process of national rebirth,” Obi said in the post.
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