TRACKING>>- The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Iba Gani Adams, has called on the federal government to release Omoyele Sowore
– Adams said that Sowore’s arrest was a violation of his human right to freedom of speech
– The Yoruba leader also said that the planned protests would have afforded Nigerians an avenue to speak their minds on the state of things in the country
Iba Gani Adams, the Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, has urged the federal government to release Omoyele Sowore, the former African Action Congress (ACC)’s presidential candidate, who was arrested by the Department of State Services (DSS) over a planned revolutionary protest.
Adams argued that the arrest of Sowore is an abuse of his human right of freedom of speech, and that this spells serious danger for Nigeria, The Sun reports.
The Yoruba leader further said the planned revolutionary protest could not be said to be treasonable since it was not yet staged as at when Sowore was arrested by the DSS.
He said that the planned protest would have been an avenue for Nigerians to voice their feelings about the state of things in the country.
Adams 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.”
In a statement by his special assistant on media, Kehinde Aderemi, Gani said: “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.”
He further that 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 that today the situation has changed.
Meanwhile, Tracknew.ng reported that Femi Falana (SAN) on Sunday, August 4, had decried the arrest of the former presidential aspirant of the African Action Congress (AAC) in the 2019 general elections, Omoyele Sowore, by the DSS.
Falana said that protest marches in Nigeria are not treasonable offences, adding that the police capitalised on the word revolution to regard the planned protests as criminal.
