A coalition of civil society organisations (CSOs) has condemned politician and rights activist, Omoyele Sowore, over what it described as a derogatory attack on President Bola Ahmed Tinubu during his recent state visit to Brazil.
The coalition, comprising Independent Public Service and Accountability Watch (IPSAW), Initiative for Integrity, Accountability and Probity (IIAP), and Allied Civil Society Organisations (ACSO), made its position known at a press conference in Abuja on Wednesday.
Led by Comrade Adeniran Taiwo Olugbenga, the group accused Sowore of undermining Nigeria’s image on the global stage, insisting that his remarks went beyond activism and amounted to a “calculated assault on the dignity of Nigerians.”
The coalition was reacting to a post by Sowore on his verified X (formerly Twitter) account on August 26, in which he wrote:
“This criminal actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!”
Olugbenga said Sowore’s comment “smacks of treachery and outright disregard for Nigeria as a nation,” calling on relevant authorities to take punitive action against him.
“While President Tinubu pitched Nigeria’s progress to global investors in Brazil, Sowore dragged our flag through the mud with insults. That’s not courage — it’s cowardice dressed as defiance. Criticism builds nations; insults break them. Slandering Nigeria before the world is treachery, not leadership,” the group said.
They urged Nigerians, especially youths, to focus on constructive engagement and nation-building rather than what they described as “hate speech masquerading as activism.”
“Enough is enough. Nigeria belongs to 250 million of us who toil, bleed, and pray to keep her standing. We deserve builders, not blusterers; reformers, not rabble-rousers,” the coalition stated.
“Today, we demand decisive state action — not to gag dissent, but to safeguard its integrity; not to mute voices, but to shield Nigeria from hate speech. The era of noise is over. The time for nation-building is now.”
