Adams Calls on FG to Release Sowore,Says those in Corridors of Power Today were Part of Protests Against Jonathan’s Administration 

The Aare Onakakanfo of Yorubaland, Gani Adams has called on the federal government to release the publisher of Sahara Reporters, Omoyele Sowore. 

Adams who made the call on Monday in a press statement said nothing is wrong with embarking on peaceful protests. 

The statement reads in part 

“Not everybody can have access to the presidency in Abuja. This is a 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.

“I think the Federal Government should consider his freedom as a panacea for peace. For instance, I wonder how a peaceful protest by harmless citizens will now turn to a treasonable felony. 

“It is unfortunate that many of the people at the corridors of power today were part of the protests against former President Goodluck Jonathan in 2015, but today the situation has changed.

“I am afraid they wanted to draw the nation back to those years of the military, where people’s rights to freedom and other fundamental human rights were alien to the military.

“Even in countries that have good institutions and good welfare policies, the citizens still organise a peaceful protest and the government will surely listen to them.

“As an activist and promoter of peace, I have engaged in various rallies and protests. On each occasion, we consulted widely, taking into considerations so many factors, including the rights of Nigerians to embark on a protest. 

“I also noted that such rights should not translate to a violent or forceful protest.”