By Bobby Oshoke

Centre for Public Integrity Faults Sowore Over Criticism of NUJ Award to DSS DG

ABUJA – The Centre for Public Integrity has described as “deeply troubling and alarming” a June 21, 2026 social media post by publisher and Action Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate Omoyele Sowore, in which he attacked the Nigeria Union of Journalists (NUJ) for naming the Director General of the Department of State Services (DSS), Mr. Oluwatosin Ajayi, as its “Man of the Year.”

In a statement signed by its National Coordinator, Comrade Job Samuel Danfulani, the group said it views “with seriousness the moral, legal and security implications” of Sowore’s post, particularly what it called an “unwarranted and baseless attack” on the NUJ.

While conceding that Sowore has a right to fault the award, the Centre said such criticism should be “done with decency and within the ambit of the law.”

The NUJ had on Friday conferred the “Man of the Year” award on Ajayi at the end of a two-day security summit in Abuja. The union said the DSS chief was honoured for building “partnership, openness and mutual respect between the media and security institutions,” adding that his “leadership approach values engagement, transparency and partnership” which has been “vital to protecting lives, preserving democratic space and advancing nation-building.”

The Centre noted that the DSS DG had earlier received similar recognition from other media bodies. In December, the International Press Institute (IPI), a global network of editors and media executives, honoured Ajayi for his “unmistakable commitment to press freedom and respect for journalists and media organisations.” The IPI said that “unlike in previous years when the SSS was notorious for serial harassment, intimidation, and arrests of journalists, the agency under Mr Ajayi’s leadership has shown remarkable restraint, professionalism, and openness to dialogue.”

In April 2026, the Broadcasting Organisation of Nigeria (BON), the umbrella body of broadcast journalists, also bestowed a “Friend of the Media” award on Ajayi at a gathering in Abuja.

The group cited other instances under Ajayi’s tenure, including the April 2025 removal of International Press Centre Executive Director Lanre Arogundade from the DSS watchlist after more than 30 years, and the October dropping of cyber defamation charges against online newspaper Order Paper and staff members following the DG’s intervention.

“We find it curious that Sowore, who didn’t fuss about the IPI and BON awards on the DSS DG, is now rankled by Friday’s award on the same man by the Nigeria Union of Journalists, the umbrella body of all journalists in Nigeria,” Danfulani stated.

The Centre argued that journalists, as members of the Fourth Estate, can criticize or applaud policy makers “so long as the criticism or applause is objectively earned and based on verifiable facts.” It said it was joining the IPI, BON and NUJ in “celebrating Mr. Tosin Ajayi for breaking with the tradition of self-help and putting the DSS on the path of the rule of law.”

The statement referenced Sowore’s ongoing trial, noting that the DSS had “been running to the courts for adjudication of all matters, including when Sowore called President Bola Tinubu a ‘criminal’ and for which he is standing trial.” It added that Sowore “suddenly is finding everything wrong with the NUJ award simply because a Federal High Court has asked him to open his defence in a case of alleged criminal defamation against President Tinubu filed against him by the DSS.”

The group also cited a recent tribute by veteran journalist and former NTA Director-General, Dr. Tonnie Iredia, praising Ajayi’s leadership style. “For those who remember, Dr. Iredia anchored Point-blank for several years on the NTA, where he held public officers, including members of the military junta, to account,” the statement said.

The Centre challenged human rights organisations to “swiftly condemn this crossing of the lines of decency by Sowore,” adding that “just as he has the right to dignity, he should not under any guise attempt to trample on the dignity of others.” It also urged Nigerian journalists to “adequately respond to Sowore’s disrespect for their noble profession.”

The statement concluded with an appeal to the DSS DG “not to allow such reckless provocative actions by Sowore distract or diminish his resolve to continue embracing the rule of law at all times.”