4th August, 2019
In spite of the warning handed down on Saturday by the Inspector-General of Police, Muhammed Adamu, that calling people out for revolution as the Sowore lead group was planning to do would amount to attempt at forceful change of government which is treasonable felony, according to the constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria, the group has threatened to go ahead with the protest.
The organisers of the #RevolutionNow protest said the group would not be deterred by the arrest of its leader, who was the Presidential Candidate of the African Action Congress in the February 23 Presidential Election, Mr Omoyele Sowore.
The General Secretary, United Action for Democracy and member of the Socialist Workers and Youth League, Mr Kunle Ajayi, who is one of the organisers of the movement, vowed to go on with the protest.
Ajayi tweeted on Saturday via his Twitter handle, @AjayiWizeman, “#RevolutionNow: They think they can stop an idea whose time has come. You have plenty to arrest. We will show you all that our generation cannot continue with your state madness. We will hand over a better world to our children. The time to act is now!!!”
He accompanied the post with a picture showing five members of the protest group holding a banner with the inscription, “#RevolutionNow. Time to act is now!”
“This arrest is not surprising to us. We know that the Presidency has tried everything in their powers to discredit and dampen our struggle,” he said.
He had earlier in a statement on Saturday spoke on behalf of the Lagos chapter of the AAC, calling for more mobilisation in defiance to the government.
According to the statement, “The Lagos branch of the African Action Congress condemns Sowore’s arrest and (President Muhammadu) Buhari’s stubborn and cruel anti-democratic credentials.
“We believe that the #RevolutionNow will outlive all forces of repression, particularly the Buhari Presidency.
“We call on the Coalition for Revolution and other organisers to continue with the mobilisation. A failed government cannot use force to make the mass of people to accept its failure.”
In the same vein, another group, the Coalition in Defence of Nigerian Democracy and Constitution, vowed that the mass action planned to commence on Monday would go on as planned despite Sowore’s arrest and the police’s warning.
According to a report by Sahara Reporters, the group’s convener, Mr Ariyo-Dare Atoye, described the #RevolutionNow protests as civil advocacy and democratic action launched to challenge bad governance in the country.
The Nigerian Police on Saturday released a statement calling on the organisers to desist from their plan, threatening to meet it with the full wrath of the law if they went ahead.