Rights activist and publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore, has stated that he would have taken legal action against President Bola Ahmed Tinubu if his name had appeared on the recently released 2025 Democracy Day National Honours list.
Sowore, a well-known critic of the Nigerian government, made the declaration following the announcement of the list, which excluded him despite his notable role in Nigeria’s pro-democracy movement.
According to Sowore, accepting such an award from President Tinubu would be a stain on his integrity, and inclusion on the list would amount to defamation.
“If I were mistakenly included by Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu on his ‘National Award’ list, I would not only reject and denounce the award but also take definitive legal action for defamation,” Sowore wrote on social media.
