By Ahmed Akanbi
Presidential candidate of the Nigeria Democratic Congress, NDC, Peter Obi, has condemned the remand of activist Omoyele Sowore at Kuje Correctional Centre, describing it as a “dangerous regression for democracy.”
He warned that the development signals growing use of state institutions to suppress dissent in Nigeria.
Obi’s comments followed a Federal High Court ruling in Abuja on Monday when Justice Mohammed Umar ordered Sowore’s remand pending determination of his application for a stay of execution of an earlier order revoking his bail.
The court also dismissed an application seeking the judge’s recusal over allegations of bias.
In a statement posted on Tuesday, Obi said the development raises serious concerns about civic freedoms and the health of Nigeria’s democracy. He cautioned against the weaponisation of public institutions against critics.
“A dangerous regression for democracy. I have received, with deep concern, the news of the court’s remand of citizen activist Omoyele Sowore in Kuje Prison,” he said.
Obi noted that democratic systems depend on protecting rights such as free expression and peaceful assembly, not suppressing opposing views.
“A thriving democracy does not survive on the silencing of opposing voices; rather, it is anchored on the robust protection of fundamental human rights, most notably the freedoms of expression and peaceful assembly, as enshrined in our Constitution,” he stated.
He further cautioned that growing pressure on civic space could deepen public distrust in state institutions amid economic hardship and insecurity.
“Moreover, our society is already strained by insecurity and biting economic hardship; therefore, deliberate steps should be taken, even by the courts, to avoid inflaming the situation,” Obi added.
“When we begin to treat citizen critics, activists, and journalists as threats to state survival rather than as partners in building accountability, we signal a dangerous slide toward authoritarianism.
“We cannot build a New Nigeria if we continue to undermine the very democratic structures meant to protect us all,” he concluded.