The organisers of the #RevolutionNow protest has said it will not be deterred by the arrest of its leader and presidential candidate of the African Ac
The organisers of the #RevolutionNow protest has said it will not be deterred by the arrest of its leader and presidential candidate of the African Action Congress, Omoyele Sowore. One of the organisers, who is the General Secretary, United Action for Democracy and member of the Socialist Workers and Youth League, Mr Kunle Ajayi, vowed to go on with the mass action.
“#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!!!” Ajayi said via his Twitter handle, @AjayiWizeman on Saturday.
Ajayi’s post was accompanied 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.
Ajayi 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. He said, “The Lagos branch of the African Action Congress condemns Sowore’s arrest and (President Muhammadu) Buhari’s stubborn and cruel antidemocratic 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.”
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.
The group’s convener, Mr Ariyo-Dare Atoye, described the #RevolutionNow protests as civil advocacy and democratic action convened to challenge “the ravenous revolution of the ruling elite that have for decades put our nation and the common man in bondage.”
Atoye said, “We make bold to say that since General Buhari in opposition fully exercised his rights to criticise previous governments and lead a protest in the country, his government cannot under any pretension stop us from holding his administration to account for bad governance. This is just the beginning.”
