The DSS (Department of State Services) has provided activist Omoyele Sowore with a 7-day ultimatum to take down a social media post that criticized President Bola Tinubu.
The DSS stated that the post, published on August 26th, was false and of an inciting nature. The DSS argued that Sowore’s use of the term “criminal” related to Tinubu along with his claim that President Tinubu lied about the fact that there was no longer corruption in Nigeria could promote disunity and public disturbance. The DSS warned that there would be lawful repercussions if he did not take down the original tweet.
The DSS have also contacted the social media platforms including X (formerly known as Twitter) and Facebook to request action should Sowore fail to comply with their demands. The DSS suggested that the most appropriate course of action was for the platforms to suspend or deactivate Sowore’s profile in order to prevent the content from being spread.
Sowore has responded and has rejected the ultimatum. He made several emphatic declarations including, but not limited to, stating that he would not retract or delete his post regardless of the social or political pressure. He stated that even if he were to remain quiet until the end of President Tinubu’s tenure in 2027, he would still not take it back.
He has further expressed that the DSS was lawless, and continued stating that they should be focused on fulfilling their constitutional roles of dealing with the insecurity of the nation as a whole.
This public controversy has caught the attention of many, most of which are Nigerians either hoping Sowore follows the DSS warning or are gathering to support Sowore’s right to free speech. Some expressed concern that the situation could become ugly if the time frame on the ultimatum comes to an end with no resolution.
For the time being, Sowore is adamant, and the DSS is standing their ground. As it stands, Nigerians wait to see the end result of this ultimatum; enforcement or just another chapter in the game of Nigerian politics.
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