Shehu Sani Warns of Perils in Social Media Oversight Amid Sowore Controversy

Former Kaduna Central Senator, Shehu Sani, has cautioned that regulating social media in Nigeria carries the risk of undermining free speech and shielding government institutions from accountability.

The comment follows the Department of State Services’ (DSS) demand that X, the social media platform formerly known as Twitter, remove a controversial post by activist Omoyele Sowore. In August, Sowore shared a video of President Bola Tinubu during a trip to Brazil and described him as a “criminal” over alleged corruption claims. The DSS wrote to X, requesting the deletion of Sowore’s tweet and related posts.

Speaking on X, Shehu acknowledged the potential misuse of social media for harassment, defamation, and incitement to violence. However, he emphasised that heavy-handed regulation could stifle freedom of expression.

“If you regulate social media, you trample on freedom of speech and shield governments, states, and institutions from being held accountable.

If you don’t regulate social media, it becomes a tool for hate, harassment, defamation, corrupting culture, and incitement to violence,” he wrote.

Shehu compared social media to a gun, capable of both preventing and causing harm, and called for a careful balance between democratic rights and societal decency. He noted that the challenge is not unique to Nigeria, with Western democracies similarly grappling with social media regulation.

He urged the government to adopt a nuanced approach, warning that over-regulation could suppress public debate and undermine democratic accountability. At the same time, he acknowledged that leaving social media entirely unregulated could allow the spread of misinformation, harassment, and content that threatens public order.

Shehu’s warning comes amid growing public debates on the role of social media in politics, governance, and civil liberties in Nigeria. Analysts have pointed out that striking a balance between protecting freedom of expression and preventing misuse is among the most pressing challenges for policymakers in the digital era.