Lere Olayinka, Senior Special Assistant on Public Communications and Social Media to the Minister of the Federal Capital Territory (FCT), Nyesom Wike, has come under scrutiny following a series of social media statements in which he appeared to threaten to personally assault human rights activist, SaharaReporters publisher and African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore.
Olayinka’s comments followed the October 30, 2026, violent attack on Sowore and members of his team at Tawakalitu Restaurant in the Dalimore area of Ado-Ekiti, Ekiti State. Sowore described the incident as an attempted assassination.
In a Facebook post responding to allegations linking him to the attack, Olayinka mocked the incident and the injuries reportedly sustained by the activist while denying that he personally participated in the violence.
“Cashtivist SowoBolt is claiming that I was part of those who served him that very hot ‘MORO’ in Ado Ekiti that made his eyes to see multiple stars,” Olayinka wrote.
He subsequently claimed that he was in Abuja when the attack occurred, saying he was occupied with his cameraman duties and had no involvement in the incident.
“Me wey I dey Abuja dey do my Cameraman work jeje,” he wrote.
However, Olayinka went further by making a statement suggesting that he would personally assault Sowore if he considered the activist’s conduct unacceptable.
“The ProtestPrenuer no know say if I need to give him MORO for being a nuisance, na me go do am by myself,” he stated.
Olayinka also invoked his Ekiti and Ijesha identities while making the remarks.
“I am an Ekiti man. I am an Ijesha man. When these two are combined…,” he added.
The latest comments followed an earlier Facebook post on November 2, 2026, in which Olayinka appeared to justify the physical attack on Sowore over the activist’s description of President Bola Tinubu as a criminal.
“A man is calling your father a criminal without being convicted by any court. If you come see the man and slap him, is it bad?” he asked.
In another post on the same day, the FCT Minister’s aide argued that people who publicly criticised the President should expect physical retaliation from his supporters when they entered areas considered his political strongholds.
“If it is convenient for you to go on radio to call some people’s father a criminal, it should also be convenient for children of that father to give you small small slaps while eating in the man’s territory,” Olayinka wrote.
“Criticism is different from being irresponsible. Ko ju bee lo (It’s not more than that),” he added.
On November 3, Olayinka escalated his comments by challenging Sowore to visit popular motor parks in Lagos and publicly describe Tinubu as a criminal.
He specifically mentioned Obalende, Ojota and Oshodi motor parks, suggesting that the activist should make the statement in those locations to see how people would react.
“Imagine it was a prominent APC supporter that chopped MORO (was attacked) in Ekiti over the weekend… The story would have been; ‘ANGRY Nigerians attack APC Chieftain In Ekiti’. They would have celebrated it,” he wrote.
“My own is, next, Sowore should try and go to Obalende, Ojota or Oshodi Motor Park in Lagos to go and call President Tinubu a criminal….”
He ended the challenge with the expression, “I wan check something.”
Olayinka repeated the challenge in another Facebook post on Friday, urging Sowore to visit Atikankan, an area in Ado-Ekiti, and describe the President as a criminal.
“Next, Cashtivist SowoBolt should try and go to Atikankan in Ado Ekiti, and call President Tinubu a criminal,” he wrote.
“I wan see something,” he added.
He also included a Yoruba expression: “Ojú mi là l’Àbújá, ògigì ùyà léé mú nií jẹ l’Èkìtì.”
In a subsequent Facebook post, Olayinka reiterated his position, arguing that Sowore should be prepared to face physical attacks from supporters of the President if he continued describing Tinubu as a criminal without a court conviction.
“Let me say this again, if it is convenient for you to go on radio and call someone who has not been convicted by any court a CRIMINAL, it should also be convenient for you to receive very hot MORO from the man’s children if you enter his territory,” he wrote.
“Ko ju bee lo (It’s not more than that),” he added.
Olayinka’s comments have raised questions about the appropriateness of a public official’s aide appearing to endorse physical violence against a political critic, particularly following an attack that Sowore has described as an assassination attempt.
Although Olayinka has denied participating in the October 30 attack, his subsequent statements appear to defend the actions of those who assaulted Sowore while repeatedly challenging the activist to make similar remarks about Tinubu in locations where he believes the reaction could be hostile.