The public perception in Nigeria that the federal government is intimidating all the opposition political parties is well amplified. Indeed, many people believe that the goal is to turn the country into a one-party state-a battle that has been made to look like a federal project as if not much of it is happening in the states. In reality however, it is in the states that political intimidation is more active and patently visible. Beyond skirmishes at political rallies where official thugs can successfully disrupt political events by opposition parties, law enforcement agencies are used at will to silence opposition activists and critics. In some states, no one dares to say anything negative about a governor.
Only last week, the nation woke up to the harassment of citizen Denis Odama, a public commentator of Cross River origin who constantly calls on government to be accountable to the people. Odama was reportedly arrested by the Police in Lagos on Sunday, August 9, 2026 for allegedly using the social media to bully Governor Bassey Otu of Cross River State. According to the media, the accused was detained in Lagos for about 4 days before being forcefully taken to Calabar for prosecution. What appears to have amounted to the bullying of Otu, was a post in Odama’s social media page drawing attention to the governor’s failure to restore light to the Bekwarra community in Cross river state which the governor had promised 2 years earlier.
While awaiting trial, the prosecution secured a court order for Odama to be remanded in jail. But then as is usual in our clime in matters of political intimidation, no charge was ready on the adjourned date. Instead, the case was withdrawn on the grounds that the governor had ordered the release of the accused person. To some people, the government was not really interested in prosecuting the case; instead, the period of incarceration was all the punishment that those in power wanted the citizen to undergo for criticising the governor. But if to be held accountable to the people is the hallmark of democracy, why do Nigerian politicians who abhor accountability seek elective offices?
Odama’s case clearly reopens several political posers in Nigeria’s democratic landscape. First, we appear to have returned to the colonial era when a law of sedition was designed simply to silence anyone who criticised the colonial government. In present day Nigeria, that obnoxious law now has a version included in the Cybercrimes Act. Those arrested under the law are deemed to have committed huge offences such as treasonable felony, terrorism, and cybercrime. Second, the prosecution is entirely opaque which explains why instead of inviting Odama to the police station for interrogation, he was virtually abducted and incarcerated without knowing his exact offence.
There is also the culture of keeping the accused in detention for longer than the law prescribes by getting a ‘friendly’ magistrate to sign a remand order so as to have ample time to concoct charges for prosecution. But because no real offence was committed, such cases are usually withdrawn at the end as has just happened in the case of Odama that was reported to have been released on the orders of the allegedly bullied Governor Otu. It would therefore appear that the governor was magnanimous but which law gave him the power to personally stop a case and order the discharge of the accused? If the scenario was in the form of a drama series, perhaps Otu would have secured the power to also serve as an appellate court.
Luckily, the same social media that many detest came handy in letting us into much information concerning the subject. For example, no one would have known the complainant. We would have thought it was Governor Otu himself, but it is not exactly so. What was reported was that it was two of his aides, namely: Akiba Ekpenyong and Pius Ankpo who did so on behalf of their principal. In other words, they were the nominal complainant in the case. Interestingly, at the point of withdrawal of the case, the prosecution claimed among other things that “the nominal complainant had forgiven the defendant.”
A criminal offence is not just against a complainant or an interested party but against the entire society. As a result, no one should have the power of forgiveness over a criminal offence. If the complainant wanted to have a civil case where they can decide to forgive at a point, a simple case of defamation would have been a better option. It is clear however that those involved in the case were at home with impunity hence they converted a simple criticism into a cybercrime to achieve not justice but harassment of a citizen who wanted to hold government accountable to the people as is done in liberal democracies.
Governor Otu’s aides who were the architect of the obvious criminalization of dissent in Cross River State didn’t do well. The Governor ought to reprimand them to avoid a recurrence of such posture which dents the public image of government. This is important because there had been governors before Otu, some notorious on the same subject while others like Donald Duke left with their names and honours intact. If, however, Bassey Otu prefers to intimidate critics, he is free to follow the footsteps of Ben Ayade who used his office to silence critics instead of being accountable. In his days, Ayade imprisoned journalist Agba Jalingo without telling the world how he handled the funds he was accused of diverting.
The allegation made by Jalingo was that Governor Ayade approved and diverted N500 million meant for Cross River State Microfinance Bank. Rather than explain the circumstance of the fund, the government decided to place the Journalist on trial on charges bordering on conspiracy, terrorism, treasonable felony and attempt to topple the government of Cross River. Following the sham trial it organized, the state was described by Amnesty International as ‘a den of repression.’ Against this backdrop, the case of Denis Odama should not have taken the same shape of leaving the substance to pursue shadows except if the state wants to wear the same repression toga
Irrespective of the provocative diction of the critic, we think Bassey Otu, has a duty to explain the continued darkness in Bekwarra, a community he had promised to restore light to since 2024. What happened to the promise by the governor? Was a budget approved for it? Why has the promise not been redeemed? These are the questions to which the average citizen deserves answers. To claim that the critic was rude or derogatory does not deal with the subject. It is worse that overzealous aides of the governor now laid a complaint to the police leading to the arrest of the critic amidst a no change situation in Bekwarra. So, who ended up bullying the other – the detained citizen or those who decided when to arrest him and when to release him without trial?
The police in Cross river and indeed in many other states must discontinue their posture of an army of occupation whose main goal is to be anti-people. The opposition politicians in the states are quite aware that in any conflict the government party is the one the police would support. Such an approach merely consolidates lack of faith in government. Earlier in the year, the African Democratic Congress (ADC), in the same Bekwarra chapter had petitioned the Inspector General of Police (IGP) over alleged political intimidation by the Area Commander of Ogoja. Although the police denied any partisanship, it is doubtful if the police itself believed its own version. Eyewitnesses confirmed that opposition events were disrupted by official thugs.
It was however worthy of note that during the tensions of last week which coincided with Odama’s case, the new Commissioner of Police in the state, CP Ajo Geoffrey Ordue formally warned officers against unlawful detention, abuse of power, and other forms of misconduct by police officers. The CP insisted that officers who violate the fundamental rights of citizens will no longer be tolerated, stressing that professionalism and respect for human dignity must guide every police operation across the state. CP Ordue spoke during his maiden lecture at the State Police Command headquarters where he addressed senior police officers.
It is hoped that with constant interactions, the police can develop an impartial habit across board that can assist in boosting her image. Most importantly, the police must stop supporting the wealthier or more powerful in society. It is irrational to say a harmless citizen was bullying a governor who has dozens of armed aides. All of us, governors inclusive should always remember that in a democracy, the sovereignty of the people is the first canon. So, let’s stop intimidating our people.
The post Cross River: Who is bullying who? By Tonnie Iredia appeared first on Vanguard News.