Tension in Presidency as Gani Adams demands Buhari to release Sowore

There is fresh tension rising in the Presidency as the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Abiodun Ige, on Monday demanded President Muhammadu Buhari to release Omoyele Sowore now.

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland had warned that the arrest of Sowore, the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (ACC), portends grave danger for Nigeria’s democracy.

National Daily learned that Sowore, publisher of Sahara Reporters and convener Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria, was arrested by the Police from the Department of State Services (DSS) over a planned revolutionary protest planned for Monday, August 5.

The Police had in a statement on Sunday said that Sowore plots to force a regime change in Nigeria, arguing that a democratic government is still in place.

Gani Adams in a statement by his Special Assistant on Media, Kehinde Aderemi, cautioned that the arrest was a huge abuse of human right to freedom. He maintained that the planned revolutionary protest cannot be said to be treasonable since it was yet to be implemented before Sowore was arrested by the DSS. He insisted that the offence cannot be pre-determined by the Police.

Adams noted that it is unfortunate that Nigerians usually forget events and memories of the past.

Aare Onakakanfo Adams observed that the information at his disposal shows that the Convener did not consult many of the civic society groups in the country.

Iba Adams was of the view that the planned protest would have presented to Nigerians the needed opportunity to express their feelings to President Buhari.

Adams insisted that Nigerians are entitled to express their feelings, in as much as the protest is peaceful, and violent-free and it also represents the feelings of Nigerians.

“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 FG 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.

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“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 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,” Aare Onakakanfo Adams had declared.