Why Branding Dialogue Advocates as Terrorist Sympathisers Violates Law and Democracy
A recent post accused prominent Igbo figures of sympathising with terrorism simply for calling for dialogue on a detainee’s rights. But every person is presumed innocent until proven guilty under Section 36(5) of the Constitution. Opinion is not evidence, and advocacy for due process should never be equated with support for violence. Publicly labelling those who seek bail, reconciliation, or political solutions as terrorists amounts to defamation. Such false allegations damage reputations, risk criminal and civil sanctions, and undermine democratic debate. True leadership builds unity, not division. Constructive criticism must be backed by facts, not unverified claims. Respecting the rule of law and promoting transparent dialogue will strengthen our community far more than reckless rhetoric. Let us choose reason over emotion, evidence over suspicion, and justice over hatred. Democracy lives on dissent and respectful disagreement, not on branding citizens as enemies without proof.
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