Human rights advocate and lawyer, Dele Farotimi, has expressed deep concern over what he describes as a growing climate of fear and repression under President Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s administration.
Speaking on Channels Television’s Morning Brief on Thursday, the former spokesperson for the Labour Party’s 2023 presidential campaign said it is becoming increasingly difficult to define the current government’s disposition—whether it functions as a democracy or mirrors elements of military rule.
Farotimi warned that civic engagement and free speech are under mounting threat, stating:
“It’s getting more dangerous to speak in Nigeria. There’s a creeping ambiguity—one can’t easily tell whether we’re under a democratic government or sliding into a form of civilian dictatorship. The suppression of dissent and the criminalisation of civic disagreement are becoming disturbingly routine.”
He further remarked that the tone set by the President cannot be ignored, noting:
“I cannot say how much of this is directly linked to the President’s disposition, but when a fish rots, it begins from the head. Leadership must take responsibility. Nigerians are not experiencing the democratic freedoms this government claims to promote.”
Farotimi’s comments come in stark contrast to President Tinubu’s June 12 Democracy Day address, in which the President declared:
“Our democracy is not invincible, but it is alive.”
The remarks have sparked broader debate about the true state of democratic governance and civil liberties in Nigeria.
