NIGERIA–Former President of the West African Bar Association, Femi Falana, has criticized the Nigerian Bar Association (NBA) for inviting former Liberian President George Manneh Weah to address its annual conference, accusing the former Liberian leader of undermining the rule of law and failing to comply with regional court judgments during his presidency.
Falana made the remarks while serving as a panelist at the 66th Annual General Conference of the Nigerian Bar Association in Port Harcourt, held under the theme, “Beyond Limits.”
The Nigerian lawyer and human rights advocate urged the NBA to reconsider inviting African leaders whom he described as dictators to address professional legal gatherings.
“I want to appeal that the bar association must stop inviting dictators in Africa to come and address us,” Falana said, in apparent reference to Weah’s participation in the conference.
He accused the former Liberian administration, which governed the country from 2018 to 2024, of interfering with the judiciary and failing to implement decisions of the ECOWAS Court of Justice.
Falana cited cases involving residents of the Madingo region whose land and properties were allegedly seized during Liberia’s civil war. He said the ECOWAS Court ruled in favor of the affected residents but alleged that the Weah administration failed to implement the judgment.
He also referred to the case of a former Associate Justice of the Supreme Court of Liberia who was removed from office. According to Falana, the ECOWAS Court subsequently overturned the dismissal, ordered the judge’s reinstatement and awarded $200,000 in compensation.
Falana alleged that the Weah administration also failed to comply with that ruling.
“Now, that is the man coming here to talk to us about the rule of law and democracy,” he said.
The former West African Bar Association president further criticized Weah over Liberia’s drug situation, making reference to the prosecution of former Vice President Jewel Howard-Taylor in connection with a major cocaine investigation. The allegations against Taylor remain subject to judicial determination.
Falana also questioned Weah’s decision to travel to Qatar to watch his son, Timothy Weah, represent the United States during an international football tournament, arguing that the former president should have remained focused on Liberia’s affairs.
Falana’s criticism comes as Weah used his keynote address at the NBA conference to call for stronger democratic institutions and an independent judiciary across Africa.
In his address, Weah warned Nigerian lawyers that elections alone do not guarantee democracy, arguing that elected leaders can become authoritarian when they weaken democratic institutions and undermine judicial independence.
“A tyrant with a certificate of return is still a tyrant,” Weah told the conference, stressing that electoral legitimacy does not give elected leaders the authority to undermine constitutional institutions.
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