Human rights lawyer Dele Farotimi has condemned the extension of Inspector-General of Police Kayode Egbetokun’s tenure, insisting that he should have retired in line with constitutional provisions.
Speaking in an interview with News Central, Farotimi criticized President Bola Tinubu’s decision, stating that it undermines the rule of law. He also backed Omoyele Sowore, the former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), who had earlier accused the government of flouting legal procedures.
“Nigeria as a legal entity is built on lies and contradictions, where laws rarely matter. If they did, then Yele (Sowore) is absolutely right—the Inspector General of Police is illegally in office because he has exceeded his time,” Farotimi said.
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He further argued that the extension of Egbetokun’s tenure was an example of executive overreach, where the President’s decree supersedes legal frameworks.
“What the presidency is telling Nigerians is that the law does not matter. The President has decreed it, and so it must stand. But if we were following the law, then Kayode Egbetokun should have already retired,” he added.
Farotimi also pointed out that the Police Service Commission (PSC) had not refuted claims that Egbetokun should have stepped down, reinforcing his argument that the extension was against legal provisions.
“If the President’s words override the constitution, then what he has effectively done is issue a decree, not follow the law. The PSC has not denied that Egbetokun was due for retirement, yet the government insists otherwise. This is just another example of the troubling realities of governance in Nigeria,” he concluded.
The presidency has yet to respond to these allegations, as debate continues over the legality of Egbetokun’s continued stay in office.
