NYSC vs Raye: Stop this descent to authoritarianism, Labour Party urges Tinubu

John Alechenu
Abuja: The Senator Nenadi Usman-led Labour Party (LP), has urged President Bola Tinubu to halt his administration’s march towards authoritarianism by ordering the National Youth Service Corps (NYSC) to release Ushie Rita Uguamaye aka Raye’s discharge certificate.
“Raye’s” certificate was allegedly withheld following her criticism of the Federal Government over the poor monthly allowance paid to Corps members.
The party equally appealed to the President to “rein in overzealous state agents determined to turn Nigeria into a repressive state under the guise of protecting the regime.”
This was contained in a statement signed by Ken Asogwa, the Senior Special Adviser to the LP interim national chairman, Sen. Nenadi Usman, in Abuja, on Monday.
He said, “The NYSC’s claim that Raye’s certificate was withheld because she missed her mandatory April 2025 biometric clearance is nothing more than a deliberate attempt to ‘give a dog a bad name to hang it.”
However, the party argued that the decision to withhold “Raye’s” discharge certificate is yet another vengeful act emblematic of President Bola Tinubu’s APC administration.”
Recall that in March 2024, Ushie Uguamaye, an NYSC member serving in Lagos State, posted a video decrying the cost-of-living and the poor state of the welfare of corps members.
She described President Tinubu as “a terrible President”, in the Video, which went viral on social media.
The former Corps member also complained about air pollution in Lagos state. Her message resonated with many Nigerians who took to social media to vent their frustrations.
The controversy escalated when Rita posted another video, which included the recording of a phone conversation with her NYSC Local Government Inspector (LGI), who threatened her with sanctions unless she took down the initial video, citing its political content.
Uguamaye later apologised for some of her comments, which she said were misconstrued as “talking down” on Lagos.
Raye who is supposed to conclude her service in the second quarter of the year, in a recent post on Instagram, raised the alarm, saying she went to the NYSC office to collect her discharge certificate, but she was denied.
Reacting to her post, the NYSC’s claim that Raye’s certificate was withheld because she missed her mandatory April 2025 biometric clearance, a statement the Labour Party described as “nothing more than a deliberate attempt to ‘give a dog a bad name to hang it.’”
LP`s statement read in part: “According to Raye’s account, her Local Government Inspector (LGI) unjustly denied her the opportunity to complete the biometric process for that month.
“Independent findings corroborate her story: Raye presented herself at the LGI centre in April with all required documentation, only to be turned away by the official on duty.
“It is deeply regrettable that freedom of expression and the right to hold opinions – guaranteed under Section 39(1) of the 1999 Constitution (as amended) – have effectively been criminalised by this intolerant APC government.
“What exactly did Raye say that is not already common knowledge? Is there any Nigerian today who does not know that this APC government is “terrible” in its policy initiatives and implementations? Why, then, should she be victimised for merely echoing an open secret?
“While it is no secret that this government is hypersensitive and incapable of accommodating dissent, particularly regarding its lacklustre policies that have impoverished millions and plunged over 133 million Nigerians into multidimensional poverty in just two years, we urge President Bola Tinubu to demonstrate at least a pretence of tolerance.
“He should immediately direct the NYSC to issue Raye her discharge certificate, having fulfilled all lawful requirements. The President must also rein in overzealous state agents determined to turn Nigeria into a repressive state under the guise of protecting the regime.
“As this government continues its dangerous descent into authoritarianism, we call on all Nigerians to remain vigilant.
“Our democracy is endangered not only by the tyrannical impulses of this rudderless APC administration but also by the silence and acquiescence of men and women of good conscience.”
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