HON. LEKE ABEJIDE AND THE DANGERS OF USING POWER TO SILENCE CRITICS
By Pastor Stanley Ajileye
The reported arrest of KOGI Reports editor, Opeyemi Owoeye, over a publication concerning Hon. Leke Abejide raises serious questions about the relationship between public office, freedom of expression, and democratic accountability.
While every citizen, including elected officials, has the right to seek legal redress against defamatory publications, democracy draws a clear line between pursuing justice through lawful channels and deploying state institutions to intimidate critics. If the allegations that Hon. Abejide influenced security agencies to arrest a journalist over a published report are true, such action would amount to a dangerous misuse of power.
A member of the House of Representatives is elected to make laws, represent constituents, and provide oversight of government institutions. The office was never created to serve as a personal instrument for settling scores with journalists, political opponents, or dissenting voices. The power and influence attached to public office must always be exercised with restraint and responsibility.
The essence of democracy is that public officials are subject to scrutiny. Journalists, civil society organisations, and ordinary citizens have a constitutional right to question the actions, motives, and political activities of elected representatives. When public officials respond to criticism with arrests instead of facts, they send a chilling message that dissent is unacceptable and that fear should replace public debate.
If a publication contains falsehoods, the law already provides adequate remedies. The courts are open. Defamation laws exist. Rights of reply are available. Public officials can issue statements, grant interviews, or institute civil proceedings where necessary. Resorting to detention or the use of security agencies against journalists creates the impression that public power is being weaponised against citizens.
Even more troubling is the allegation that bail was delayed pending instructions allegedly linked to a political office holder. Such a development, if established, would undermine public confidence in the independence and professionalism of security institutions. Security agencies owe their allegiance to the Constitution and the law, not to politicians, regardless of status or influence.
History has shown that attempts to silence the press rarely succeed. Instead, they often attract greater public attention to the issues public officials seek to suppress. Strong leaders answer criticism with evidence, transparency, and performance. Weak leaders rely on intimidation.
Hon. Leke Abejide has built a significant political profile over the years and enjoys substantial influence within Kogi West. Such influence should be deployed to strengthen democratic institutions, not to create the perception that critics risk arrest for expressing opinions or publishing reports.
The true test of leadership is not how one treats supporters, but how one responds to criticism. Public office is a trust, not a weapon. Legislators must resist every temptation to use their influence over state institutions to intimidate opponents, journalists, or citizens exercising their constitutional rights.
Nigeria’s democracy can only flourish when elected officials understand that criticism is not a crime, journalism is not an offence, and public power must never become a tool of personal vendetta.
