Dear Nigerians, it appears we have a new addition to our long list of ‘national offences’.
Not fraud, not embezzlement, not violent crime, but daring to exercise the God-given (and constitutionally backed) right to sing in a way that displeases the powers that be.
This is the latest lesson from the Delta State College of Nursing Sciences, where a student, Osato Edobor, now faces disciplinary action for the audacity of recording and sharing a video of students humorously rejecting the First Lady, Oluremi Tinubu, as their ‘mother’ during her recent visit to Delta State.
The audacious nursing school students who suitably rejected @officialabat‘s wife, Senator Remi Tinubu, in that “Na Your Mama Be This” song ought to be celebrated, but as is characteristic of this Tinubu repressive era, one of them is being targeted for sharing this charming… pic.twitter.com/PvnmmiFq9G
— Omoyele Sowore (@YeleSowore) March 28, 2025
The school’s provost, Evbodaghe Rita Ogonne, cited a rule from the student handbook, warning Osato that her actions were a ‘punishable offence’.
Now, let’s unpack this absurdity.
According to the school, Osato committed an ‘unauthorised online publication’. But in reality, all she did was document and share an unscripted reaction to a song at a public event.
If this is a crime, then we need to build extra prisons for the thousands of Nigerians who post videos every day reacting to government policies, political rallies, and yes, questionable fashion choices by public figures.
If anything, the students’ response was classic Nigerian humor. The event MC declared Oluremi Tinubu ‘everyone’s mother’ and started a song: ‘Na our mama be this o we no get another one’!
And the students, obviously not feeling the sentiment, responded in perfect harmony: ‘Na your mama be this o…’!
It was witty, it was relatable, and most importantly: it was harmless.
But instead of laughing it off or reflecting on why the students felt this way, the school decided to act as the morality police, issuing a query as though Osato had committed treason.
But what about the law?
Now, let’s bring in the Nigerian 1999 constitution, which, for those who may have forgotten (or ignored it entirely), is the supreme law of the land. Section 39 (1) of the constitution guarantees freedom of expression, stating: ‘Every person shall be entitled to freedom of expression, including freedom to hold opinions and to receive and impart ideas and information without interference’.
This means that unless someone is inciting violence or spreading false information, they have every right to express themselves however they please.
If a group of nursing students choosing not to sing along with an MC at a public event is now considered a ‘malicious act’, then we need to ask ourselves: what next?
Will students be suspended for refusing to clap enthusiastically when a politician arrives on campus? Will citizens be fined for rolling their eyes during a government speech?
Freedom of expression includes the right to dissent, to joke, to react in ways that reflect genuine sentiments. And nowhere in Nigerian law does it say that citizens must pretend to adore their leaders.
Madam First Lady, this is your cue
This is not just about one student or one school. It is about the dangerous precedent being set: that institutions can silence free speech simply because someone in power might be offended.
The First Lady, as a former senator, should understand the importance of free speech in a democracy. Instead of ignoring this, she should publicly call out the school for overstepping its boundaries.
Because if she does not, this only strengthens the growing argument that her husband’s administration is anti-free speech: an accusation that has been gaining traction with each crackdown on dissent.
To Madam First Lady, the students’ reaction may not have been flattering, but it was honest. You should not allow a school to punish a citizen for expressing an opinion, especially when the constitution is clear about their right to do so.
Aligning school rules with the law
Schools are meant to be institutions of learning, not extensions of government propaganda. If the Delta State College of Nursing Sciences wishes to discipline students, let it be for academic misconduct, not for expressing themselves lawfully.
The school’s student handbook, which it claims supports this disciplinary action, is not above the Nigerian constitution. Any rule that contradicts the fundamental rights of Nigerians is, by default, invalid.
The provost and the school management need to review their regulations and ensure they align with the supreme law of the land.
Because if we start punishing students for their opinions today, we might as well stop pretending we live in a democracy.
We call on the Delta State College of Nursing Sciences to withdraw this query immediately. Universities and colleges should be spaces for critical thinking, not fear and suppression.
To the First Lady: speak up. Call the school to order and reaffirm your commitment to democratic values, including free speech.
And to the Nigerian government: if your administration is truly committed to democracy, then there should be no tolerance for institutions that trample on citizens’ rights.
