Former presidential candidate of the African Action Congress (AAC), Omoyele Sowore on Monday said the forthcoming #FearlessInOctober protest scheduled for October 1, will go on with or without him.
Sowore, who is also the convener of the #RevolutionNow disclosed this during an interview on News Central TV on Monday.
He stressed that the protests will not stop until the government addresses the demands of the protesters.
He said: “And I want to make it clear here whether I participate or not and I am addressing our security people, it is going to happen. Just like the one in August, I was not here and it happened.
“Even in 2019, the protest that I was arrested for – #RevolutionNow – happened even though I was arrested two days before the protest. So nobody can stop it.
“I only know that it will start on October 1, I don’t know when it will end. Nigerians are tired of suffering. Did you know that in 2023 in France, French workers protested for six months non-stop? So why the complaint about the two months (the gap between #EndBadGovernance and #FearlessInOctober protests) when there is still hunger, starvation and corruption?
“People are even complaining that we should not announce the date, that it should happen spontaneously.”
The Sahara Reporters publisher urged anyone who wish to begin the protests before the planned October 1 date to do so.
“And we said to anybody who feels that he is cheated or feels the burden of bad governance, they can’t buy gasoline, they can’t pay their band A or whichever band they put for electricity, they can’t pay school fees, and they feel strangled by the government, either by economic policies or political policies.
“If you feel any of these, you are at liberty to start whenever you want. But as an organisation that I am part of, this is how we always protest since I have been engaging in civil advocacy to bring about social change.
“I have never been engaged in a protest that is not peaceful. When a protest is announced and people are ready to march, it is already known that it is peaceful.”
The activist rhetorically asked if the government would let the citizens to express themselves freely.
“You should ask government; it is the police that kill people. The protesters did not kill themselves. It is the police,” Sowore added.
Politics Nigeria recalls that Sowore was picked up yesterday by the NIS upon his arrival at the Murtala Muhammed International Airport in Lagos Sunday morning.
The Department of State Services (DSS) some days ago, declared the him wanted and gave an order to airport security and immigration authorities for his arrest as soon as he returns to the country.
Newly appointed DSS boss, Adeola Ajayi gave the order for Sowore’s arrest following the role he played in the recent 10 days #EndBadGovernance protests.
