Chidi Odinkalu, a renowned human rights activist and former chairman of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), has responded sharply to comments made by Nigeria’s First Lady, Senator Oluremi Tinubu, who recently warned citizens against the online bullying of the country’s leaders.

Senator Tinubu, a former federal lawmaker, had drawn widespread attention after she sent a strong message urging Nigerians to desist from criticising and bullying their leaders on social media platforms. Her remarks quickly went viral, sparking heated debates across various online platforms and drawing reactions from prominent public figures nationwide.

Among those who weighed in was Odinkalu, a respected human rights lawyer and outspoken academic widely admired for his fearlessness and boldness on matters of governance and accountability.

“Leaders who do not emerge through a transparent process do not deserve to be respected. Only those whom the people unanimously chose deserve respect.”

— Chidi Odinkalu, via X (formerly Twitter)

In a series of statements published on his official X handle on Sunday, February 8, 2026, the former NHRC chairman made a striking argument that underscored the fundamental need for leaders to emerge through transparent and broadly acceptable democratic processes.

Odinkalu maintained that respect for leadership must be earned through legitimate electoral mandates, not demanded through public appeals. He asserted that only leaders who are genuinely chosen by the people through free, fair, and credible elections are entitled to the respect and deference that comes with public office.

To drive his point home, the human rights lawyer drew a vivid analogy, comparing those who subvert elections to common criminals. Odinkalu argued that individuals who manipulate electoral outcomes and undermine the will of the people are no different from those who seize other people’s property by force.

The analogy struck a chord with many Nigerians who have long expressed frustrations over the integrity of the country’s electoral process. By equating electoral subversion with theft, Odinkalu highlighted the moral bankruptcy he believes is inherent in any system that produces leaders without the genuine consent of the governed.

His comments have since reignited the ongoing national conversation about democracy, accountability, and the legitimacy of political leadership in Nigeria. While the First Lady’s appeal for civility on social media resonated with some, Odinkalu’s rebuttal has amplified calls from civil society for greater transparency in the country’s electoral system as the foundation upon which genuine respect for leadership must be built.

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