In a recent statement via his official X account, Director of the Abuja School of Social and Political Thought, Sam Amadi, has weighed in on the ongoing debate about blasphemy in Nigeria following criticism surrounding comments made by a Plateau State church leader Rev Dachomo.
”There is no blasphemy under Nigerian constitution and there can be none in a democracy with a guaranteed right of free speech. That is why the Sharia criminal law is unconstitutional,” he wrote
In his post, Amadi argued that the Nigerian Constitution does not recognise blasphemy as a criminal offence, he said a democratic country that guarantees freedom of expression cannot legally sustain a blasphemy law.
The political analyst explained that the constitutional protection of free speech allows citizens to express opinions, even when such views may offend religious beliefs, he said that in a democracy, the state cannot punish individuals simply because their words are considered blasphemous by a religious group.
Amadi added that this constitutional protection is the reason he believes the criminal application of Sharia law on blasphemy contradicts Nigeria’s legal framework, according to him, the country’s constitution remains the highest legal authority and should guide how laws are interpreted.
His comments came amid growing public reactions to statements made by Dachomo, a regional chairman of the Church of Christ in Nations, the cleric has faced criticism after describing Allah in offensive terms during a public statement, which brought anger among many Muslims across the country.
The incident has triggered heated discussions on social media and within religious circles, many Nigerians have condemned the cleric’s statements as provocative and disrespectful to Islamic beliefs.