Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland,
Iba Gani Adams has joined other Nigerians calling for the release of the
presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (ACC), Omoyele Sowore.
The publisher of Sahara Reporters
and convener, Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, was
arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) over a planned revolutionary
protest which held in some states but was foiled by security agencies.
In a statement on Monday by his
Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, Adams said the detention was an
abuse of human right, stating that the planned revolutionary protest cannot be
said to be treasonable since it was yet to be implemented as at the time Sowore
was arrested.
Adams said it was unfortunate
that Nigerians usually forget events and memories of the past, adding that
Nigeria’s problems emanated from the military’s dictatorship which was against
freedom of speech and expression.
He said: “Not everybody can have
access to the presidency in Abuja. This is democracy, not militarism, where
people are cowed and jailed over issues relating to their welfare.
“Sowore is an activist, and he
was part of the struggle for this democracy. Therefore, he is entitled to
express his feelings and that of Nigerians in a democratic setting.
“I think the federal government
must consider his freedom as a panacea for peace. For instance, I wonder how a
peaceful protest by armless citizens will now turn to a treasonable felony.
“It is unfortunate that many of
the people at the corridors of power today were part of the protests against
former president Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, but today the situation has
changed.
“I am afraid they wanted to draw
the nation backward to those years of the military, where peoples rights to
freedom and other fundamental human rights were alien to the military
“Even in countries that have good
institutions and good welfare policies, the citizens still organise peaceful
protest and the government will surely listen to them
“As an activist and promoter of
peace, I have engaged in various rallies and protests. On each occasions, we
consulted widely, taking into considerations so many factors,including the
rights of Nigerians to embark on protest, noting also that such rights should
not translate to a violent or forceful protest
“Nigeria is a democratic
republic, therefore, unlawful detention of a people can lead to further crisis
and the Federal Government must try as much as it is possible to avoid this by
listening to the cries of Nigerians.
“The Federal Government must free
Sowore and formulate policy programmes that have direct impact on the mass of
the people,” Adams concluded.
Click to signup for FREE news updates, latest information and hottest gists everyday
Advertise on NigerianEye.com to reach thousands of our daily users
No comments
Post a Comment
Kindly drop a comment below.
(Comments are moderated. Clean comments will be approved immediately)
Advert Enquires - Reach out to us at NigerianEye@gmail.com