Corps Member Who Criticised Tinubu Under Pressure to Apologise – Sowore

Human rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has said that youth corps member Ushie Uguamaye is facing intense pressure from government officials to apologise for her viral criticism of President Bola Tinubu’s administration. According to Sowore, ministers and other officials have been reaching out to coerce the corps member into retracting her comments, which highlighted Nigeria’s worsening economic hardship.

Uguamaye, serving in Lagos, posted a TikTok video on Saturday where she expressed frustration over the surging cost of living and described President Tinubu as a “terrible leader.” She lamented rising food prices and questioned the government’s response to inflation and hardship. Following the video, she claimed to have received threats and was summoned to appear before the NYSC Local Government Inspector (LGI) in Eti-Osa.

Sowore, speaking on Arise TV on Monday, maintained that Uguamaye had not broken any law by voicing her opinion. He accompanied her to the NYSC LGI office alongside a legal team, including Festus Ogun, Adeyinka Oyesomi, and Ojienoh Justice. However, they reported that officials at the office failed to show up. “We will be back,” Sowore said in a video posted on X (formerly Twitter), standing by the corps member’s right to free expression.

Journalist and activist Agba Jalingo also came to Uguamaye’s defence, urging Nigerians to support rather than vilify her. Jalingo revealed that Uguamaye’s father, Raphael Ushie, a Chief Inspector in the Nigeria Immigration Service, died in 2019 during a protest against the demolition of his palm plantation for the Obudu International Airport project. He noted that her family received no compensation, and her mother struggled to fund her education. Jalingo asked Nigerians to consider her background and show empathy rather than hostility.

Meanwhile, Temitope Ajayi, Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, called for Uguamaye’s expulsion from the NYSC. In a statement on Monday, Ajayi said her actions demonstrated “blatant disregard” for NYSC by-laws and should be met with the maximum disciplinary penalty. He emphasised the need to uphold values of dignity, discipline, and mutual respect in national institutions like the NYSC.