By Amb. Chinonso Chukwuemeka
The recent outburst by Mr. Omoyele Sowore, who referred to President Bola Ahmed Tinubu as a “criminal,” is not only reckless but deeply unfortunate.
As a citizen, Sowore has the right to free expression, but freedom of speech does not extend to making unsubstantiated criminal allegations against the President of the Federal Republic of Nigeria.
He who alleges must prove. If Sowore has credible evidence that President Tinubu is indeed a criminal, he should make it public and follow the legal process to substantiate his claims. Anything short of this is mere slander aimed at undermining the institution of the presidency and destabilizing the nation.
Contrary to Sowore’s narrative, the Department of State Services (DSS) is not censoring him or Nigerians on social media. Rather, the DSS is fulfilling its constitutional duty to safeguard Nigeria’s national security, unity, and democratic stability.
When an individual recklessly deploys social media to malign the Commander-in-Chief without proof, it is within the mandate of the DSS to act.
Sowore and his lawyer have no authority to restrain the DSS from pursuing lawful action regarding his social media accounts.
As long as his posts pose threats to national security and the economy, the DSS reserves the power to direct platforms like Meta and X to delete such posts or even deactivate the accounts involved. That is not censorship, it is the enforcement of the rule of law.
It is disturbing, therefore, that a serial presidential candidate like Sowore would trivialize national security by describing the DSS as “clueless, idle, and disheveled.”
Worse still is his blanket claim that there is no one “sensible left in offices to make Nigeria work.” Such comments are not only baseless but also insult the patriotic men and women risking their lives daily to protect this country.
If the DSS fails to pursue this case to its logical conclusion, Sowore would have succeeded in setting a dangerous precedent where anyone can, without evidence, brand fellow citizens, or even the President, a criminal.
That would open the floodgates to anarchy, weaken our institutions, and further erode the civility required in democratic discourse.
Nigeria must never allow reckless activism to override the principle of accountability.
Sowore must either provide evidence to back his allegation or retract his statement.
Otherwise, the DSS is right to pursue every lawful means to ensure that the rule of law prevails.
Amb. Chinonso Chukwuemeka is the National Coordinator of the Ndigbo Young Professionals and writes from Akwa, Anambra State.
