In a recent social media exchange, human rights activist, Kayode Ogundamisi has drawn criticism from Nigerians for questioning Laolu Akande’s right to express himself freely after serving as a Presidential Spokesperson for eight years.
Akande who has garnered admiration for his insightful analyses on Channels TV, has a long-standing career as a journalist and columnist, even before joining the previous administration.
Seven years after graduating from the University of Ibadan, he became an editor of a national newspaper in 1997.
Quest Times gathered that many Twitter users condemned Ogundamisi for attempting to dictate who can comment on the current government.
They pointed out that Akande’s freedom of expression should not be curtailed, especially as a journalist exercising his professional rights.
“You left the government less than seven months ago, ‘Kori ko sun’ to the Number 2 Man in that Presidency and you are already jumping from Channels TV to Arise TV, to tell us how bad the situation in Nigeria is. You people always have solutions after leaving the government. Pathetic,” Ogundamisi wrote.
In a subsequent post, he directly addressed Akande, stating, “My ‘Brother’, Laolu Akande, about time those who served in the Buhari and Osinbajo Presidency just came out and said all. These attempts to try and wash your hands off all that went wrong and claim ownership of all that went right are not honourable. Collective responsibility.”
Ogundamisi’s comments sparked a debate on free speech and the rights of individuals to express their opinions, regardless of their past affiliations.
Many Nigerians defended Akande’s right to speak freely, emphasizing that his position as a former government spokesperson should not limit his ability to comment on current affairs.
A social media user, Japheth Omojuwa asserted, “If you supported the President, don’t let anyone deny you your right to ask for better or criticise the president and/or his appointees. You are within your rights. Voting for the president doesn’t make you a cult member. And you certainly don’t belong to a headless mob where no one is allowed an independent opinion other than the inert anger and irrationality of the collective.”
Another user, Adelekan Al, echoed these sentiments, questioning Ogundamisi’s expectations of Akande’s role as a spokesperson. “I wonder how Kayode thinks. So, as a spokesperson to the VP, you expect Akande to change the constitution, fix power and roads declare free education from primary to university, build hospitals etc? Let’s not forget, that he granted interviews on TV even as an aide to PYO.”
Hayden Jones further defended Akande’s right to speak freely, stating, “I think Akande has every right as a journalist to be on TV and say what he’s saying. Kayode, you have stayed so long in servitude that you cannot question the master or point out errors. Your warped thinking has now evolved into envy. No one appointed you and it hurts.”
Olakunle Olatunji suggested that Ogundamisi’s remarks stemmed from envy, while MohPrince highlighted Akande’s right to express his views without fear. “Are aides among the decision makers in an administration? You know how it works. You were once an aide between 2015 and 2019 before you were laid off.”