By Ebi Perekeme
The Kalasuwe of Apoi land in Ese-Odo Local Government Area of Ondo state, on Friday, August 30, pleaded with the Federal Government to release the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore, without delay.
Kalasuwe said Sowore who is a worthy son of Apoi should be released unconditionally, adding that his arrest and continued detention portends grave danger for Nigeria’s democracy.
The publisher of SaharaReporters and convener Global Coalition for Security and Democracy in Nigeria was arrested by the operatives of the Department of State Services over a planned protest tagged’ #revolutionaryNow’ scheduled for Monday, August 5, 2019 and subsequently accused of a plot to force a regime change in the country.
In a statement, Kalasuwe said the arrest was an abuse of human right to freedom, stressing that the planned ‘RevolutionalNow’ protest could not be said to be treasonable since it was yet to be implemented before he was arrested by the DSS.
Kalasuwe, who faulted the rationale behind the arrest, said it was unfortunate that Nigerians usually forget events and memories of the past.
He said Nigeria’s problems emanated from the military’s dictatorship and tendency to gag the press and prevent freedom of speech and expression.
The planned protest, he admitted, would have presented to Nigerians, the needed opportunity to express their feelings to President Muhammadu Buhari.
The monarch said Nigerians were entitled to express their feelings, provided the protest was peaceful and violent-free and it also represented the feelings of Nigerians.
According to him, “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.”
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