Lagos Corper’s criticism of Tinubu: Freedom of speech is fundamental to democracy, says Shittu 

Former Minister of Communications, Dr. Adebayo Shittu, on Tuesday condemned the backlash against Nigerians who have expressed dissatisfaction with President Bola Tinubu’s administration, particularly the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) member serving in Lagos State.

It would be recalled that the Lagos-based corps member, Ushie Uguamaye (also known as Raye), had posted a viral video criticizing the government of President Bola Tinubu, describing him as a “terrible President”.

However while many Nigerians have expressed solidarity with the corps member, the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Temitope Ajayi, had argued that she deserved the highest form of disciplinary action, which is expulsion from the NYSC. He even said that the Corp member’s offence is punishable by death.

But Shittu while speaking as a guest at Eagle 102.5 FM’s 3rd Ramadan Lecture in Ilese-Ijebu, emphasized that freedom of speech and public opinion are fundamental to democracy, stressing that “In a country of over 230 million people, differing opinions are inevitable,” he said.

While acknowledging that some Nigerians may feel frustrated with government policies, he insisted that such sentiments do not represent the views of the entire population. According to him, “expecting uniformity of thought is unrealistic”.

In his reaction to Ajayi’s call for severe punishment, Shittu argued that criticism of government is not a capital offense and that democracy permits free speech within legal limits.

“These statements are often media-driven and should not be grounds for extreme punitive measures,” he stated.

Similarly, the former Minister differed in opinion to the decision by four northern states—Katsina, Kebbi, Bauchi, and Kano—to shut down schools for a month to observe Ramadan.

He clarified that Islam does not mandate school closures during the holy month, citing the Quran, which instructs businesses to pause only for Jum’ah prayer and resume afterward.

According to him, “Closing schools for Ramadan lacks religious justification and is unnecessary,” he said, while questioning the effectiveness of such closures. He noted that many students may not spend their time praying as intended. If any adjustment were to be considered, he suggested it should only apply to the last ten days of Ramadan, when some teachers and students might observe I’tikaf (seclusion for worship).”

He then concluded that shutting down schools for an entire month is irrelevant and unjustified.