LAGOS, Nigeria — Nigerian lawyer and rights activist, Dele Farotimi, has expressed growing concern over what he describes as a dangerous erosion of free speech under the administration of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu.
Farotimi, a former spokesperson for the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential campaign, made the remarks during an appearance on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday. He questioned the nature of Nigeria’s current political climate, suggesting that the line between democracy and authoritarianism is increasingly blurred.
“In the administration of Tinubu, there is the ambiguity of whether we are in a military dictatorship or a democracy,” he said. “It is very easy to forget exactly what kind of government we have in place. The level of suppression of free speech and the readiness to criminalise every civic disagreement is alarming.”
The activist decried the current state of civil liberties, warning that it has become “increasingly dangerous to speak” in Nigeria today.
“I don’t know how much of this is traceable to the President or his temperament. But when the fish rots, it begins from the head. There is always someone on whose desk the buck stops,” Farotimi added.
His comments stand in stark contrast to President Tinubu’s recent Democracy Day address on June 12, where the president affirmed his commitment to democratic ideals.
“Our democracy is not invincible, but it is alive,” Tinubu said during his national broadcast.
Farotimi’s remarks have since stirred debate across social and political circles, highlighting the rising concerns over shrinking civic space and the future of democratic freedoms in Nigeria.
Comments