Nigeria’s ruling party, APC, has
accused an activist, Omoyele Sowore, of treason and plotting to destabilise the
country.
Mr Sowore was arrested on
Saturday for calling for a revolution against bad governance.
He had planned a series of
protests across Nigeria to start from last Monday.
Despite Mr Sowore’s arrest, many
Nigerians still came out for the protest. However, dozens of the protesters
were arrested across the country with some charged to court.
On Thursday, the Nigerian
government secured a court order to detain Mr Sowore for 45 days based on
Nigeria’s controversial terrorism law.
Even though the main opposition
party, PDP, has not been part of the protests with one of its prominent
governors warning against it, the APC still accused the PDP presidential
candidate, Atiku Abubakar, of being behind the protests.
“Of course, the disgruntled
presidential candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alh. Atiku
Abubakar is expectedly the patron and cheerleader of the unpatriotic elements
who would rather bring our country down for being rejected at the polls,” APC
spokesperson Lanre Issa-Onilu said in a statement on Thursday.
Mr Issa-Onilu accused Mr Sowore
of treason for planning the ‘revolution.’
“Sowore and some of his co-losers
have now resorted to an illegal and misguided plot to destabilise the country,”
he said.
Read the full APC statement below.
Proponents of Forceful Takeover
of Government are Enemies of Nigeria – APC*
The All Progressives Congress
(APC) calls on Nigerians to reject the toxic messages and criminal antics of
some individuals and partisans who have embarked on a campaign of calumny
against the government and are calling for a forceful takeover of government.
They are cowards and enemies of Nigeria.
The recent arrest of Mr. Omoyele
Sowore by the Department of State Services (DSS) must be seen for what it is —
a legal and timely action by our security services to protect our democracy and
protect the country and its citizens against any action that threatens our
collective peace and safety.
Predictably, some desperate
individuals, sore losers, and their sy0mpathisers are acting in vain trying to
pull a wool over the eyes of Nigerians. Of course, the disgruntled presidential
candidate of the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP), Alh. Atiku Abubakar is
expectedly the patron and cheerleader of the unpatriotic elements who would
rather bring our country down for being rejected at the polls.
The desperate attempt to
politicise a legitimate action by the security agencies and futile effort to
spread falsehood to create chaos in the country are clearly irresponsible
actions. We call on Nigerians to look at the issue of Sowore’s arrest dispassionately
devoid of the skewed narratives and sentiments being propagated by these
individuals.
Sowore arrived the country
recently and openly threatened a revolution against a constitutionally
recognised and legitimate government. Should the DSS and other security
services have dismissed the declaration and the underlying implications as a
non- issue? No intelligence/security agency worth its calling take issues like
this with levity.
From elections to governance and
general conduct, the President Muhammadu Buhari-led administration has
demonstrated its adherence and defence of the rule of law over politics and
sundry interests.
Again, on the safety of
Nigerians, the current government has been decisive in addressing any action
that threatens the country’s unity, peace and our democracy. Sowore’s arrest is
another testament to our unshaken resolve in this regard.
The right to a civil protest is a
given, however it should not be construed to mean the same thing as a
revolution to forcibly take over government. This makes it necessary to put the
act of a revolution in context, at least by the proclamation made by Sowore and
his co-travelers. Revolution means to forcibly overthrow a government through
rebellion, revolt, insurrection, mutiny, uprising, insurgency, coup.
Nigeria is not a banana republic,
we are a country with a democratically-elected government, governed by laws.
Our laws are clear on Sowore’s actions. It is treason. No one should be allowed
to get away with any attempt to destabilize this country.
We must remind ourselves that the
same Sowore who attempts to lead a revolution had a legal opportunity during
the 2019 Presidential election as a candidate to sell his governace ideas, if
any, to the electorate. He failed woefully in that attempt, coming a distant
sixth with 33,953 votes compared to the winner, President Muhammadu Buhari, who
polled over 15 million votes.
Sowore and some of his co-losers
have now resorted to an illegal and misguided plot to destabilise the country.
Their plan is dead on arrival.
We reiterate that our laws are
clear on all criminalities and Nigerians expect that the enforcement of
relevant laws should apply to every Nigerian, irrespective of class and status.
This government would not be found wanting where it is required to take
decisive actions.
Finally, the effects of
instability being championed by these cowards and enemies of Nigeria is
disastrous. The same proponents of a forceful takeover will be the first to
flee the country with their loved ones while the ordinary nigerian suffers the
disastrous consequences.
Nigerians beware.
SIGNED:
*Mallam Lanre Issa-Onilu*
National Publicity Secretary
All Progressives Congress (APC)
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