BY JULIET EKWENUGO
Abuja
A coalition of civil society organisations has asked the Federal Government to take decisive action against rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, over comments describing President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal” and “liar.”
The coalition made the call yesterday during a protest at the Ministry of Justice in Abuja.
The groups, led by Comrade Adeniran Taiwo Olugbenga of the Initiative for Integrity, Accountability and Probity (IIAP) and Comrade Steve Eriba of the Independent Public Service and Accountability Watch (IPSAW), accused Sowore of making what they called “reckless and inciting statements” against the president.
Speaking at the protest, the conveners said Sowore’s remarks following President Tinubu’s recent comments in Brazil were “an assault on the office of the president and the image of the country.”
“By calling a duly elected president a criminal and liar, Sowore has crossed the red line and must not be allowed to denigrate national institutions with impunity. Freedom of expression is guaranteed, but it is not a license for sabotage”.
The groups further argued that Sowore’s brand of activism was not aimed at reforms but “a deliberate attempt to undermine Nigeria’s image abroad and mislead young people at home.”
They maintained that recent youth-led movements such as EndSARS and Not Too Young To Run showed how constructive agitation could yield positive reforms, contrasting them with Sowore’s approach, which they alleged “thrives on division and chaos”.
The coalition, while expressing support for President Tinubu’s Renewed Hope Agenda, urged security agencies to arrest and prosecute Sowore to prevent what they described as “reckless rhetoric capable of inciting extremism.”
“We are here in solidarity with our president and country. True activism should build, not destroy. Sowore’s constant attacks are not dissent but sabotage, and decisive action must be taken”.
