FG walking in the sun but afraid of shadow – Shehu Sani
Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka has flayed the federal government for the arrest of the publisher of Sahara Reporters and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Mr. Omoyele Sowore on trump up charge of planning to mobilise people to destabilise the government
Sowore, arrowhead of #RevolutionNow hash tag project and his co-conveners had planned to start a nationwide revolutionary protest tagged, ‘Days of Rage’ today (Monday).
However, he was arrested by operatives of the Department of State Services (DSS) in his Lagos residence on Saturday, August 3, and taken to Abuja.
Explaining the reason for the arrest, the inspector general of police, Mr. Mohammed Adamu said the politician cum publisher was planning a revolution to destabilise the government of President Muhammadu Buhari and was liable to be charged with treasonable felony.
But reacting to Adamu’s explanation, Soyinka, in a statement tagged ‘Not again’ frowned at outright misconception of ‘revolution’ saying there was nothing in Sowore’s actions or words that meant revolution in the sense of overthrowing the government.
He said Sowore’s arrest was a violation of the fundamental rights of citizens to congregate and make their concerns public.
He also stated that Sowore’s arrest was a reminiscent of late Gen. Sani Abacha’s regime which clamped down on civil protesters.
He regretted that the security agents seemed to have learnt nothing from history.
He called on the police to “stick to their task of protecting and managing protests, not attempt to place their own meaning and declaration of intent on bogey words like – revolution.
“Nothing that he (Sowore) said to me in private engagement ever remotely approached intent to destabilise governance or bypass the normal democratic means of changing a government. I, therefore, find the reasons given by the inspector general of police for the arrest and detention of this young ex-presidential candidate totally contrived and untenable, unsupported by any shred of evidence. His arrest is a travesty and violation of the fundamental rights of citizens to congregate and make public their concerns.
“This is all so sadly déjà vu. How often must we go through this wearisome cycle? We underwent identical cynical contrivances under the late, unlamented Sani Abacha, when he sent storm-troopers to disrupt a planning session for a similar across-nation march at Tai Solarin School, Ikenne.
“This was followed up by a personalised letter that was hand-delivered by the State Security Services to me under their summons, at their Abeokuta so-called ‘Annexe’ with near identical wording to the threats contained in today’s release from the desk of the chief of police. At least, I was summoned, not subjected to a terrorist midnight arrest. Some irony!
“The same pattern Pavlovian conduct manifested itself under yet another supposed democratic ruler who personally declared that the gathering of civilians to deliberate on, and propose a constitution for the nation was ‘high treason’ and would be resisted by the full rigour of state power if we persisted.
“The inspector general of police mobilised his forces and issued inflammatory proclamations, but Pro-National Conference Organisation (PRONACO) went ahead despite all the thundering from Aso citadel. Can the police ever learn anything from their tear-gassing and brutalising of grieving mothers who marched peacefully to protest the deaths of their children in a plane crash inferno?
“Their mission, under that same regime, which was simply to deliver a letter to the government house in Lagos, demanding greater safety in airline operations, yet such a rational intent, born of traumatic circumstances, was quashed on the sidewalks of a supposed twentieth century nation.
“And yet again, even a faceless cabal under yet another civilian regime refused to be left out of the insensate play of power. A march on Aso Rock calling for an end to governance by a ghostly entity was slated to be crushed, but fortunately, a conflicting balance of interests decided in favour of a reduced trajectory of protest. And so on and on and on, in a nation which continues to speak at once through both sides of the mouth, spewing out the same treason monotone, as if this was a magic incantation that could substitute for the venting of mass feelings, even as collective therapy.
“If we cannot learn from the histories and experiences of other societies, let us, at least, learn from ours. Freedom is not so glibly qualified. It cannot be doled out like slops of charity from soup kitchens. Let the police stick to their task of protecting and managing protests, not attempt to place their own meaning and declaration of intent on bogey words like – revolution.”
Similarly, human rights lawyer, Mr. Femi Falana said the police had conveniently found an excuse in the word use of the word ‘revolution’ to stop the protesters.
Falana said in a statement that the call for revolution is not an act of treasonable felony under any Nigerian law.
He pointed out that no provisions of section 37 and 41 of the Criminal Code Act, and the Terrorism Prevention (Amendment) Act or any order law criminalise peaceful protests or call for revolution as an act of treason, treasonable felony, or terrorism.
He wondered why the leaders of the All Progressives Congress (APC) were not charged for claiming to have terminated the Peoples Democratic Party’s (PDP) rule through “democratic revolution” in 2015.
“It is crystal clear that the organisers of the peaceful rallies cannot be said to have planned to engage in acts of terrorism or formed an intention to remove President Muhammadu Buhari from office.
“The intention of the organisers of the rallies to protest the worsening security situation in the country, demand payment of N30, 000 minimum wage to workers and job creation for our army of unemployed youths etc cannot by any stretch of imagination be said to constitute terrorism or treason in any material particular.
Falana said: “No doubt, the Nigeria Police Force has capitalised on the use of the word “revolution” to criminalise the protests. If revolution has become a criminal offence in Nigeria why were the leaders of the APC not charged for claiming to have carried out Nigeria’s democratic revolution which terminated the 16-year rule of the PDP in 2015? Why was Dr Kingsley Chiedu Moghalu, the presidential candidate of the Young Progressive Party not threatened with treason when he asked Nigerians to rise up for revolution via the 2019 general elections?
“Did all Nigerian senators led by the APC members not commit treason or terrorism when they spent one and a half hours on May 14, 2019 to debate Senator Chukwuka Utazi’s timely motion on ‘Bridging the gap between the haves and have-nots to nip in the bud the seeds of a looming violent revolution’?”
In his reaction, Mr. Shehu Sani who represented Kaduna Central in the 8th senate, said the federal government should be able to engage dissenting voices if it can sit to have coffee with bandits in search of peace.
“The arrest of Omoyele Sowore stands unreservedly condemned,” he said.
“Our Democracy has become a block of ice floating on warm waters. We are leapfrogging into totalitarianism.
“A nation that can sit and have a cup of coffee with bandits in the search for peace should not find it difficult to engage dissenting voices.
“It’s ironic for our nation to walk in the sun and be allergic to shadows. The voices of dissent are the heartbeats of democracy.
“Let not our prisons not be filled with those that speak but with those that kill.”
Sani accused the ruling elite of becoming intolerant of truths that had once served as the “moral chariots that validated their ascension to power”.
He said Nigeria’s democracy will remain questionable until citizens “learn to tolerate things that are legal within the ambit of the law but unpleasant to our ears”.
“The government should defeat Sowore by beaming a bigger light than this and not by switching off his rays.
“Sowore should be released.”
However, President Buhari, in a statement by his spokesman, Mr. Garba Shehu said challenged the sponsors of #RevolutionNow to come out in the open.
“The President calls on all those who seek to use and hide behind everyday citizens to attain power through undemocratic and violent means, which has been alluded, to come out clearly and be identified.
“Following calls circulating on social and digital media, an organisation that calls itself the “Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria” plans a “revolution” march tomorrow, Monday 5th August, with the aim of bringing “regime change” in Nigeria without recourse to a nationwide vote.
The statement reads: “The President of Nigeria and his administration respect and uphold the right of every Nigerian to peaceful protest and civil campaign– whether to raise awareness on issues, and even oppose the government. It is the inalienable right of all citizens of the Federal Republic of Nigeria to do so.
“There is, however, a difference between peaceful call to protest and incitement for a revolution.
The organisation championing this planned action is not fronted by any serious public faces. We call on the sponsors and organisers to have the decency to come forward and make their identity known – out of respect to all Nigerians – so that Nigerians can be fully aware in whose name this “revolution” is being proposed and who the beneficiaries may be.
“Less than six months ago, Nigeria held simultaneous presidential and parliamentary elections. Both contests were won resoundingly by President Muhammadu Buhari and his All-Progressives Congress party.
“The campaign was observed, and results were confirmed by international election monitoring groups and observers. The result was even contested by the losing presidential candidate and his party in Court.”
“The ballot box is the only constitutional means of changing government and a president in Nigeria. The days of coups and revolutions are over. ”
“Those making the “revolution’’ call hide behind the veil of social media modernity. But without revealing the identity of their sponsors this shadowy campaign is no better, and no more democratic, than the days of old.
“The President calls on all those who seek to use and hide behind everyday citizens to attain power through undemocratic and violent means, which has been alluded, to come out clearly and be identified.”
They should lead their march in person. Only then will they begin to have the right to call themselves leaders before the people of Nigeria.”
