How not to Counter Critics like Sowore -By Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim

When Omoyele Sowore, a journalist, activist, and politician, made a post saying it was time to shine a light on governance in Gombe, I was not surprised. It is his habit, and that is what he is known for. A moment after this post, he dropped the first nuggets, exposing how the government has allegedly failed to deliver basic amenities.

I was expecting the Gombe State Government or the APC to respond to Sowore with facts, not fiction. Nigerians have moved past the era of unnecessary manipulation and distraction with falsehoods. All they have to do is provide the public with factual and accurate information about the allegations raised, one after the other.

I don’t think Sowore would choose to confront a governor, who has a public affairs directorate and the Gombe Media Corporation at his disposal, if he didn’t have concrete evidence.

Since the governor is a media person himself, he can handle this job. Gombe residents would expect him to address these issues one by one in a media chat, an activity he frequently engages in. This would undoubtedly remove people’s doubts

From his answers, coupled with their own knowledge of the present reality in the state, residents would be in a better position to make a judgment without any fear of being unfair or partial.

I should never expect the usual tactics employed by state apparatuses to silence dissent by harassment, threats, or social media campaigns. Because Nigerians today are no longer the Nigerians of yesterday. Their eyes have been opened. And they are better with every passing moment. I love that. I don’t have a problem with it. In fact, this makes our government strong.

Bauchi tried it, and it didn’t work well. Sowore is a very stubborn person. He is fearless. When he says, “Babu Fashi,” he means it. He is never afraid of being arrested, nor is he afraid of being threatened by media thugs.

I have never witnessed a period where people here in Nigeria publicly referred to their leaders as cruel or tyrannical as they do now. This only shows one thing: Nigerians have been pushed to the wall to the point of suffocation, despite their renowned resilience.

What I expect, at the very least, is that if the governor is unavailable to face the press, his media aide should respond in a manner that will satisfy Sowore, every Gombe State resident, and the rest of Nigeria.

But silence is never an option in such a case. It simply means all the allegations are true. Why should anyone be blamed for thinking so when you have failed to address the issue in a timely manner?

I am saying this because the government has consistently ignored Dan Bello when he shone a torchlight on Gombe State sometime ago.

Therefore, the people of Gombe deserve an honest answer. If these allegations are true, the government can admit and adjust where necessary. It is not too late to make amends. The governor still has about two years in office. It is better to take responsibility and fix what needs to be fixed than to come begging for forgiveness at a time when people might not be able to offer it.

Muhammad Auwal Ibrahim is a multiple award-winning investigative journalist and a 2025 Adejumobi Adegbite Journalism Fellow at Foundation for Investigative Journalism. He can be reached via awwalbinibrahim@gmail.com