Tinubu’s administration is attacking freedom of speech – Afenifere

Tinubu’s administration is attacking freedom of speech â€" Afenifere

A faction of the Pan-Yoruba socio-political organisation, Afenifere, has raised alarm over what it described as the “de-structuring of the Nigerian federation” under the leadership of President Bola Tinubu. The group, loyal to the late Pa Ayo Adebanjo, also accused the administration of eroding democratic freedoms and undermining the foundational pillars of federalism.

 

In a statement jointly signed by Oba Oladipo Olaitan, the group’s leader, and Prince Justice Faloye, its national publicity secretary, Afenifere said it was “alarmed at the rate and audacity that the Tinubu administration is destructuring the basic structures upon which the Nigerian federation rests.” The group criticised what it called an “autocratic attack on the fundamental pillars of democratic federalism,” adding that instead of working towards restructuring, the administration was dismantling the very essence of the federation.

 

The group cited the “blatant usurpation of the federating units, the judiciary and the legislative arm,” and warned that the abuse of citizens’ rights, worsening insecurity, and economic hardship could push the country to a breaking point. “We can’t but wonder how much more can the federation take before imploding, and the wheels come off our manifest destiny,” the statement said.

 

The group also criticised what it described as attacks on freedom of speech, noting the recent ban on Eedris Abdulkareem’s song, Tell Your Papa, which was a direct response to controversial comments by Seyi Tinubu. “The suppression of democratic freedoms, most instantiated by the banning of ‘Tell Your Papa’… signals a leadership tendency that is disconnected from citizens’ realities,” the statement read. “This autocratic ban… is evidence of the increasing disregard for dissenting voices in Nigeria, potentially silencing artists and stifling creativity and the progress we need to move forward as a society.”

 

Addressing the rising insecurity across the country, the group pointed to recent data from HumAngle’s Conflict Tracker, which reported that 1,420 Nigerians were killed and over 537 kidnapped in the first quarter of 2025. It described the security situation as dire, especially as citizens continue to struggle under “the weight of poverty imposed by dissociative policies.”

 

Reiterating its longstanding call for the establishment of state police, Afenifere said the recent resurgence of violence by Fulani herdsmen and bandits underscored the urgency for reform. “The government must address the root cause of these conflicts, open grazing, and outrightly ban it, while promoting the more sustainable and safe alternativeâ€"ranching,” the group stated.

 

It urged the federal government to adopt more effective security strategies to protect lives and property, insisting that a single, centralised police force is insufficient to address Nigeria’s diverse security challenges. “Politics aside, all management principles and best practices inform us that a single police hierarchy is not sufficient to provide the security required by a nation of our size and diversity,” the statement said.

 

Afenifere accused the Tinubu administration of resisting state policing for political reasons, even as killings and kidnappings rise. The group warned that this reluctance could further endanger national unity and cohesion.