By Tunde Oso
A public commentary by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Digital Communications, Engagement and New Media Strategy, O’tega Ogra, defending a recent Federal High Court judgment involving Facebook Nigeria and the Advertising Regulatory Council of Nigeria (ARCON), has drawn criticism from marketing communications expert and public affairs commentator, Ewa Izuchukwu.
In a statement sent to Vanguard, Izuchukwu questioned Ogra’s decision to publicly defend the judgment, arguing that the intervention could create the perception that the Presidency is taking sides in a legal dispute involving a federal regulatory agency and Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook. The controversy follows Justice Bogoro’s ruling setting aside ARCON’s ₦60 billion enforcement notice against Facebook Nigeria. In his response to earlier criticism of the judgment, Ogra argued that the decision represented a victory for the rule of law rather than a setback for consumer protection, maintaining that ARCON failed to establish, with admissible evidence, the legal relationship between Facebook Nigeria and Meta Platforms.
However, Izuchukwu argued that the presidential aide’s intervention raises questions about the distinction between his official role and his position as Vice President of the Association of Advertisers in Nigeria (ADVAN), as well as his membership of the World Federation of Advertisers.
