Feelers from organisers of the #RevolutionNow movement had suggested a nationwide protest that should start today, 5th of August. True to proposition- though not squarely as planned, the protest held despite the cladestine arrest of one of the key leaders of the movement, Omoyele Sowore, by the Department of State Security.
The reasons given by the DSS (albeit after loud hush from concerned citizens) for Sowore’s arrest was that the proposed protest amounts to treason, going by the understanding that the word “revolution” literally connotes a regime change, the forceful takeover of power. This, according to them, was what the arrest was meant to nip on the bud.
From the foregoing interplay, it is understood that somethings do not really mix, and these bother basically on misappropriateness of the actions of both the captor and the captive. The moniker by which Omoyele Sowore’s had proposed to carry out his constitutional right to protest was gravely mistaken same way the step taken by the government to bring him to perceived sanity.
Puerile as the fear expressed by the DSS and later corroborated by the Nigerian police could be, going by the simple feeling that it could be the height of lame imagination (the kind undertaken by a baby relishing in freedom as to have nothing to be bothered about), to say the least, the call by Sowore was provocative to the extent that they should be stirred.
#RevolutionNow, looking at the surface is something that should be tamed before it had gravitated to the deep surface of a real revolt against a legitimate government. Alternately, a cursory look, which a study of the demands outlined by the movement provides, to wit basically are growing concerns of the common citizen- ranging from security to basic living standards, would give a view of how the concept of revolution was just carelessly applied.
Omoyele Sowore and his collaborators in this mission erred simply by the adoption of such inciting concept. The AAC presidential candidate in the 2019 presidential election, by resorting to this reference is giving the impression that he wants to get by force (revolt, revolution) what he was unable to get legitimately through the polls. What had happened to conceptions similar to #OccupyNigeria, #iStandWithNigeria, etc which do not trigger face-value offence?
Regardless of the poor sense of judgement and though the disposition of Sowore and co as regards this action could be described as recalcitrant, but the question pertinent is: honestly, does the Nigerian security apparatus not have much concerns to take on than to be bothered with just harmless action, though threatening the term used could be?
My point is that even as seemingly threatening and calling to anarchy the proposition of #RevolutionNow could be (i.e. on face value), the intents of the proposed #RevolutionNow, which is the real value, as outlined in the circulated demands should have informed the security apparati and/or the government that Sowore’s terminology was a mere misconception of the spirit of his campaign.
It is based on this, therefore, that I join millions of others calling on the government to immediately and unconditionally release Omoyele Sowore. He has the right as a Nigerian to express his thoughts and also to form assembly, to wit, to protest.
Ahanonu Kingsley writes from Owerri Twitter: @kings_emz
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