Activist-cum-politician, Omoyele Sowore, has restated his disinterest in accepting any national award from President Bola Tinubu, warning that he would sue for defamation if his name makes it to any list released by the presidency to that effect.
The publisher and former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC) issued the warning in a statement posted on his social media accounts on Friday, June 13, 2025.
His reaction appeared to be a direct reaction to speculation making the rounds about the possibility of certain citizens, including himself, being nominated for national awards in 2025.
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However, Sowore warned that he would not only reject such an offer from President Tinubu but also sue for defamation.
“If I were mistakenly included by Tinubu on his ‘National Award’ list, I would not only reject and denounce the award but also take definitive legal action for defamation,” he wrote.
Sowore, who is also the convener of the #RevolutionNow movement, has been a long-time critic of the All Progressives Congress-led Federal Government, especially the policies and leadership style of the President.
On multiple occasions, the politician has made several allegations against the government, including alleged corruption, poor governance, and repression of civil liberties.
Tinubu honours eminent Nigerians for the June 12 struggle
His warning comes on the heels of Tinubu’s decision to confer national honours on over 60 eminent Nigerians, who have played significant roles in the country’s democratic journey.
The President announced the honour while addressing the joint sitting of the National Assembly on Wednesday, June 12, 2025, to mark Nigeria’s Democracy Day.
The awardees included both living legends and others who paid the supreme price while wrestling with the military regime for the enthronement of democratic rule in Nigeria.
Nobel Laureate Professor Wole Soyinka was awarded the Grand Commander of the Order of the Niger (GCON), the second-highest national honour in the country. Also honoured was fiery Catholic Bishop Matthew Hassan Kukah (CON), a vocal advocate for justice and good governance.
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Tinubu conferred a posthumous national honour on Ken Saro-Wiwa (CON) and the eight other members of the Ogoni Nine who were executed by the Abacha regime in 1995 after agitating for environmental justice in the Niger Delta.
He also granted the deceased a posthumous state pardon, a symbolic but significant move in Nigeria’s long battle with political injustice.
