A Coalition of civil society organizations has condemned what it described as careless and reckless attacks on President Bola Tinubu by Omoyele Sowore, a two time presidential aspirant and activist.
Sowore had repeatedly called the President a criminal and liar over the latter’s assertion that his reforms have led to an end to corruption and bolstered the Nigerian economy while addressing investors in Brazil during a state visit.
Addressing the press after a protest at the Ministry of Justice, Abuja, the coalition, under the leadership of Comrade Adeniran Taiwo Olugbenga and Comrade Steve Eriba; Conveners of Initiative for Integrity, Accountability and Probity, IIAP, and Convener Independent Public Service and Accountability Watch, IPSAW, demanded the immediate arrest, investigation prosecution of Sowore for allegedly crossing all lines of decency, respect for constituted authority and fair play.
“By calling a duly elected and legitimate President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria a criminal and liar, Sowore has crossed the red lines and must not be allowed to walk freely while denigrating our institutions and leaders with impunity. This is beyond constructive criticism and opposition politics, this is madness and bitterness taken too far
“Of course freedom of expression is sacred, but it is not a license for lunacy. Our constitution protects speech, not sabotage. Omoyele Sowore’s actions are not activism but a deliberate assault on Nigeria’s soul. Calling our President a criminal and branding our nation as hell abroad is not dissent, it is betrayal.
“For someone who aspired to be the President of this country, Sowore doesn’t build Nigeria’s image, he defaces it. He is not aiming for a better Nigeria but an opportunity to settle scores with political rivals and mislead a few gullible Nigerians
“You don’t curse your country on the world stage and call it patriotism. This is madness and not activism.
“Sowore’s so-called activism is a toxic brew of despair, chaos, and self-promotion. He thrives on wreckage, not reform, on division, not destiny. Nigerian youth have proven that protest can spark progress. EndSARS forced police reforms; Not-Too-Young-Too-Run shattered barriers to leadership. These were movements of vision, fueled by hope and anchored in solutions.
“In clear contrast, Sowore’s brand of activism doesn’t inspire, it poisons minds. He is obsessed with chaos and every national challenge becomes his spotlight, every crisis his megaphone, every pain his performance. This is not activism, it’s social sabotage and must be stopped by all means.
“Sowore’s kind of reckless rhetoric is a spark that ignites extremism, empowers opportunists, and fractures our fragile security. His words are not just noise, they are a direct danger to the Nigerian state
His latest outburst proves it and we must not allow him to infect our youth with this noise and chaos” the text stated.
The Coalition affirmed their support for President Bola Tinubu and the Renewed Hope Agenda which is already having monumental impacts in the lives of Nigerians, vowing to oppose any crisis entrepreneur who might want to jeopardize the reforms of the current administration for their selfish interests.
“We rally today in solidarity with our President and country. We are here today because silence is complicity. True activism involves sacrifice, construction, and transformation. Sowore’s theatre of despair destroys, divides, and distracts.
“We demand decisive state action not to stifle dissent, but to safeguard its integrity; not to mute voices, but to shield Nigeria from hate speech masquerading as activism. No single person’s lust for chaos will chain Nigeria. We are a generation resolved to rise from protest to policy, from stagnation to strength, from despair to destiny,” the text concluded.
