A coalition of civil society organisations has petitioned the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ), and relevant media regulatory bodies over what they described as “sustained cyberbullying and misinformation” allegedly perpetrated by activist and former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
Addressing a press briefing in Abuja on Wednesday, the group—under the aegis of the Independent Public Service and Accountability Watch, in collaboration with other allied CSOs—called for an immediate investigation into Sowore’s conduct on social media and through his media platform.
According to the coalition, Sowore’s methods have allegedly shifted from legitimate activism to what they termed “digital terrorism in disguise.”
Adeniran Taiwo, who spoke on behalf of the coalition, accused Sowore of leveraging his media influence to spread false narratives, incite public distrust, and engage in personal attacks on public figures.
“What began as a promising voice of dissent has now descended into a toxic cocktail of arrogance, misinformation, and deliberate blackmail,” Taiwo stated.
The group further claimed that the repeated dissemination of controversial content through Sowore’s media outfit amounts to character assassination and a deliberate effort to undermine national values.
The coalition urged professional bodies and media institutions to publicly distance themselves from what they described as an abuse of digital platforms, warning that silence from oversight bodies could be interpreted as tacit endorsement.
“He has made a career of malicious blackmail, consistently painting Nigeria as a failed state to advance a chaos-driven agenda,” Taiwo added.
They also cautioned that if left unchecked, Sowore’s approach could encourage a wave of misinformed youth engagement, driven by bitterness rather than constructive civic participation.
The coalition concluded by urging the federal government and regulatory agencies to take proactive steps, warning that inaction could result in continued abuse of press freedom and digital spaces under the cover of activism.
