A political activist and former Deputy National Publicity Secretary of
the All Progressives Congress (APC), Comrade Timi Frank, Sunday,
described the invasion of the Federal High Court Abuja, by agents of the
Department of State Services (DSS) to re-arrest the #RevolutionNow
Convener, Omoyele Sowore, as the implementation of General Muhammadu
Buhari’s #NextLevel of dictatorship and impunity.
Frank who strongly condemned the gestapo attack and flagrant desecration
of the nation’s Temple of Justice, urged Nigerians to be alarmed over
the total disregard for the rule of law and fundamental human rights of
Nigerians by the present administration.
He said what happened in court on Friday is a consummation of the
complete annexation of both the legislature and the judiciary by
Buhari-led executive.
Frank said: “We have seen the DSS invade the home of Justices at
midnight. We have seen the invasion of the National Assembly by the DSS.
We have seen the sack of a Chief Justice of Nigeria by this
administration.
“We have seen the hand picking of Presiding Officers for the ninth
National Assembly. What further evidence do we need to conclude that
this is total dictatorship and reign of impunity rather than democracy
and rule of law?”
He said that Sowore’s ordeal represents the greater ordeal Nigerians
have been facing since 2015 and will continue to face in the hands of
Buhari.
He warned that the current push to pass the Social Media and Hate Speech
Bills is a direct conspiracy between the executive and legislature to
criminalize rightful dissent in the face of unlawful government
practices.
“Why has the National Assembly not introduced a Bill to hang looters?
They cannot do this because they know some of their members and those in
the executive will be the first victims of such a law.
“They are after the common man on the street who may be dissatisfied
with their dictatorial style and kleptomaniac tendencies,” Frank
declared.
He wondered why the Presidency was quick to condemn the attack on the
Minister of Transportation, Rotimi Amaechi in Spain but failed to
condemn the renewed assault against the nation’s judiciary by the DSS.
He further wondered why the CJN and the AGF have failed to censure the
unholy and brazen attack on a court of law.
“The invasion of Justice Ijeoma Ojukwu’s court and attempts to
surreptitiously deal with the learned Justice for granting Sowore bail
must be condemned by all,” he said
He accused Buhari of desperation to hang on to power at all cost even if
it means the declaration of martial law and the total subjugation of the
people.
“After the total pacification of Nigerians through the gagging of the
media with the Hate Speech and Social Media laws, Nigeria will become a
police state where inalienable freedoms will be completely suspended.
“The people are being bludgeoned into silence by security forces. Very
soon it would be a silence of the grave, if care is not taken,” he
warned.
He urged Nigerians to speak up or risk a worsened situation as the plot
to grant Buhari a third term in office takes root.
“While US Senators have joined in helping to preserve democracy in
Nigeria by their strong condemnation of the court invasion and re-arrest
of Sowore by the DSS, our own ‘rubber stamp’ legislature has not deemed
it fit to stand up for democracy in the country,” he lamented.
He also called on the United States and the European Union to prevail on
China and other international financial institutions to stop granting
loans to Nigeria which are being amassed by the present administration
to finance an illegal third term bid.
“Lovers of democracy across the world must not keep silent and watch
democracy in Nigeria go down the drain of dictatorship once again,” he
said.