…Afenifere, Ohaneze, PANDEF,Ozekhome,Olanrewaju, Afegbua, others speak

By Emma Amaeze, Anayo Okoli, Dapo Akinrefon, Drisu Yakubu, Livinus Nwabuhiogu, Henry Ojelu

Following the arrest and subsequent detention of Omoyele Sowore, leader of the RevolutionNow movement by the Department of State Security Service, DSS, penultimate Saturday, some eminent Nigerians have called on President Muhammadu Buhari to address issues raised by the politician cum publisher, rather than basking in the euphoria of the suppression of the agitation.

President Buhari

Sowore, Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress, AAC, in the 2019 election last week, called on Nigerians to come out in their numbers to protest against what he termed bad governance and worsening insecurity in the land. But the DSS swiftly responded, picked him up and succeeded in frustrating the protest from going on across the country. The security agency on Thursday secured a court order to further detain him for 45 days.

The Presidency while responding to the development labeled the planned revolution march a failure even as it thanked Nigerians for their show of support and loyalty to the President Buhari-led administration. In a statement signed by the Senior Special Assistant to the President on Media and Publicity, Mallam Garba Shehu, the Presidency said the resolve of the people to give his government a chance culminated in the failure of the planned nationwide protest.

The statement reads: “Today (Monday, August 5), millions of Nigerians went about their businesses: work, seeking employment, attending school/college and caring for their families. By doing so, the millions defended our country’s hard-won democratic rights-by ignoring calls on social media to join a phantom revolution.”

The  statement however appears not to have resonated with many as prominent Nigerians have insisted that the critical issues raised by Sowore should be urgently addressed if Nigeria must remain a united entity.  Those who expressed their views on the issue include Constitutional lawyer, Mike Ozekhome, SAN; National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin;  Spokesman to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, Kassim Afegbua; Ohaneze, PANDEF, Chairman, Coalition of Nigerians against Corruption, Surajo Olarenwaju; rights activist, Inibong Effiong; Member Ekiti State Judicial Service Commission,  Kabir Akingbolu and Executive Director, Cadrell Advocacy Centre, Evans Ufeli.

FG allergic to plurality of voices, criticism — Ozekhome, SAN

Speaking on the issue, Mike Ozekhome, SAN, faulted the arrest of the Sahara Reporters publisher arguing that in the past, Nigerians including incumbent national chairman of the All Progressives Congress, Adams Oshiomhole had caused to protest across the country against bad governance by sundry administrations.

Ozekhome who chided the DSS for arresting and detaining the activist cum politician stressed that while government is celebrating for quelling the agitations, the concerns raised by Sowore and his group must be addressed in the interest of Nigerians.

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He said: “What has this government done about herdsmen carrying automatic weapons, killing Nigerians in their homes and in their farms? We are talking of people maiming, involved in arson, raping, dismembering, and they will come out and thumb their chest and say, yes, we are the ones doing it. What did the government do?

“Killings are going on and you are not doing anything about it. This government is allergic to plurality of voices and criticisms. In the 2000s, President Olusegun Obasanjo was in office and the present chairman of the APC, Adams Oshiomhole was the President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, NLC. We joined hands with the civil society groups to march on the streets of Lagos on a daily basis. At a time it got to a point that Obasanjo had to rally round and called us for meetings.

Continuing, the Senior Advocate of Nigeria noted that as early as 2012, “when Buhari was still nursing the hope of becoming President of Nigeria, he with other members of the then, Action Congress, rallied on the streets of Abuja with a group called Occupy Nigeria that used the Ojota Park to close Nigeria. Jonathan was then the President. There were no shooting, no arrest, musicians were called upon and Sowore himself was part and parcel of that protest.”

Presidency childish—Odumakin

Reacting to the Presidency’s elation over the revolution, National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Mr. Yinka Odumakin described certain reactions as “unfortunate”.

Odumakin said: “If there is awareness at the Presidency, there is no cause for rejoicing over what happened. It should have been a moment for sober reflection. That it had to deploy all it had against the protest is awareness that Nigeria has become a fertile ground for people to back such action.

“If the government had addressed the needs of the people, a thousand Sowore shouting revolution on the streets would provide only comic relief to the people. But with the situation on ground today, if a Miyetti Allah cow is able to shout “revolution” it would gather followers. How to change the perilous conditions of the people should be the concern of the government and not a childish celebration.”

FG celebrating its failure  — Osuntokun

Also lampooning the Presidency, Mr. Akin Osuntokun, Political Adviser to former President Olusegun Obasanjo, said the presidency was merely celebrating its own failure.

Osuntokun said: “First what revolution are they talking about let alone a revolution that failed? This is another demonstration of this government’s penchant for trivia and childishness. They are reducing the government of Nigeria to the level of a sparring partner with Sowore. On account of its lack of self esteem and poverty of understanding, this government has done the most to elevate the protest to a level, way beyond its potential.

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“They have made it a household name and a brand worthy of serious national attention thereby providing a launching pad for the reintroduction of the brand. Against the background of the government’s violent disruption of the protest, I don’t understand the tag of failure they are putting on it. The victory they are celebrating will make better sense if the protest was allowed to succeed or fail without the hindrance of the government.

“My understanding is that the Revolutionnow# was a protest against the persistent failure of governance which is grinding Nigeria to a halt. In this understanding, the organizers are merely echoing the voice of the overwhelming majority of Nigerians. Celebrating this amounts to the government celebrating its own failure.”

Presidency celebrating failure — Ohanaeze

The Publicity Secretary of Ohanaeze, Prince Uche Achi-Okpaga said it was regrettable that federal government was celebrating  failures which the protesting youths were  pointing out.

“I don’t understand the federal government; what is worth celebrating; is it progress you celebrate or failure? The youths were trying to correct the imbalance in the system.  Why should federal government celebrate that?

What is the progress so far? No progress. The world is moving higher but Nigeria is still backward. We are talking about RUGA, a primitive way of rearing cattle when the world has gone far.

“Nigeria is stationary;  all motion, no movement.  A government that said that National Interest is higher than rule of law.  Federal government will not obey court orders but go to the same court to get orders to arrest and detain people like they did to Sowore. Are we  in the era of military rule?

Govt beret of ideas to turn situation around —Afegbua

On his part, spokesman to the Peoples Democratic Party, PDP Presidential candidate in the 2019 election, Atiku Abubakar, Kassim Afegbua said Buhari had in the past mobilized against elected governments wondering why he is not prepared to allow another Nigerian an opportunity to do same, now that he is in the saddle.

“In 2003, after the April 19 election, General Buhari led the mass action protest that lasted for one week. I was part of that mass action as Director of Publicity of the National Democratic Party, NDC. Late Chuba Okadigbo was his running mate then. Alhaji Balarabe Musa was part of that protest. We mobilised and staged a serious protest at Mabushi Roundabout in Abuja and we expected other states to key into it using the Conference of Nigerian Political Parties, CNPP as a platform. We were tear-gassed, but managed to escape.

“In 2011, General Buhari also made reference to revolution using Egypt 18 days unrest as point of reference. He also reportedly said if the 2011 elections were rigged, monkeys and baboons will be soaked in blood. After that election, about 800 persons were reportedly killed across the country.

Dr. Goodluck Jonathan, as President, set up a post election violence committee headed by Sheikh Ahmed Lemu, and part of the report indicted Buhari. But of course, you know anyone who fights with the sword, would be scared to see razor blade around him, let alone a scalpel. So, the hostility of this government against voices of dissent is borne out of fear of catching a feel of what they did before they were voted into office,” he told Saturday Vanguard.

Afegbua further said that despite the continued detention of Sowore, governance challenges manifested in increasing insecurity are glaring for all to see, noting that from all indications, the government appears bereft of smart ideas to turn the situation around.

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“This government and the APC are detained by confusion and incapacity to set up a viable and workable template to address the numerous issues confronting the country.

They are overwhelmed by the challenges and thus looking for scapegoats that would help distract attention from the real issues. This government caresses incompetence, cuddles under-performance, embraces hypocrisy, kisses nepotism and endorses incapacity as new found lovers when they should be providing us with solutions to our problems.

“Rather than engage, the President is cocooned in the inner fortress of Aso Villa, playing host to traditional rulers, and other leaders of thought. Why not take the narrative to the people in their respective geo-political zones to instill some sense of belonging in them? In fact, picking Sowore in such gestapo manner,  one would think this DSS would have picked up all those insurgents that have turned Nigeria to a killing field.

Vanguard