Peter Obi, the presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress (NDC), has condemned the prison remand of Omoyele Sowore, activist and Sahara Reporters publisher, branding it a “dangerous regression for our democracy.” Obi warned that treating citizen critics as threats to state survival rather than accountability partners signals a worrying slide toward authoritarianism in Nigeria.
The opposition leader’s sharp reaction followed a ruling on Monday by Mohammed Umar Justice of the Federal High Court in Abuja, who ordered Sowore to be remanded at the Kuje Correctional Centre. The remand stems from a prosecution spearheaded by the Department of State Services (DSS) over allegations that Sowore defamed President Bola Tinubu by calling him “a criminal” in a social media post. Umar Justice ordered the activist held pending the hearing of an application to stay the execution of a prior order that revoked his bail.
In a strongly worded statement released on Tuesday, Obi expressed deep concern over what he perceives as a growing pattern of using official powers to systematically suppress critical voices and shrink the country’s civic space.
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