Human rights activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, has reaffirmed his stance, refusing to retract his statement in which he labelled President Bola Tinubu a “criminal.”
This comes in defiance of a reported ultimatum issued by the Department of State Services, demanding the removal of the comment.
The controversy began after President Tinubu, during a recent state visit to Brazil, claimed that corruption no longer existed within Nigeria’s currency market.
Reacting to the statement, Sowore took to his X (formerly Twitter) handle, where he strongly criticized the president.
“This criminal @officialABAT actually went to Brazil to state that there is NO MORE corruption under his regime in Nigeria. What audacity to lie shamelessly!” Sowore wrote.
Following the post, the DSS reportedly petitioned both X and Facebook, urging the platforms to deactivate Sowore’s accounts.
The agency also allegedly issued a one-week deadline for him to retract the statement or face unspecified consequences.
However, in a renewed post on X, Sowore maintained his position.
“Even if you give me till the end of Tinubu’s tenure in 2027, I will NOT retract my statement,” he declared.
Recall that Sowore previously ran for Nigeria’s presidency under the African Action Congress in both the 2019 and 2023 general elections.
