By Nwafor Sunday

Following the arrest of the presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, Omoyele Sowore, by the Department of the State Service, DSS, on Saturday, a group known as ‘Coalition Against Corruption and Bad Governance’ COCOBAG, has called for his release, noting that Nigerians have right to protest against bad governance and poor police implementations.

Omoyele Sowore

In a statement signed by the groups Chairman, Mr Toyin Raheem, obtained by Vanguard, the group averred that “It’s unbecoming of this government to be against all patriotic Nigerians calling for good governance and respect for the democratic and constitutional rights of  Nigerians.

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“The government should be reminded that no government can have legitimacy without support of citizens.

“CACOBAG wonders what offence Sowore could have committed by collaborating with genuine change seeking elements to call for a peaceful protest.

“Can we remind the government that the incumbent  president  once participated in a protest ,as his legitimate right, aftermath 2007 general elections.

“What could have been responsible for repressive tendencies in a democracy? We say no to any form of repression.

“Nigerians are conscious of the fact that what we have presently in Nigeria is a civillian rule and not a democratic government.

“This is partially responsible why many Nigerians show no interest in electioneering process of the country. The percentage of Nigerians that participated or voted in the last general elections says it all.

“The government should order the immediate and unconditional release of Sowore NOW.

“If Comrade Sowore is not released today, CACOBAG calls for Mass protests to commence at dawn tomorrow as against Monday 5th January that it ought to commence. Civil Society leaders and practitioners should intensify efforts to mobilises mass of our people for civil disobedience should this government fail to comport itself with democratic norms.

“We all have a stake in the country, therefore, the  government should not  be impervious to respect of the rules of law and Constitutionalism.

“Sowore should be FREED UNCONDITIONALLY NOW.”

Vanguard