Comrade Ayoyinka Oni, a seasoned activist, is the Chairman, African Action Congress (AAC), Lagos State chapter, and former Coordinator, Take It Back Movement (TIB), in Lagos. In this interview with EJIKEME OMENAZU, he speaks on the arrest of his party’s National Leader and presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, at the Lagos airport last Sunday. He also speaks on his party’s participation in the just-concluded Edo State governorship election and the coming Ondo State governorship election, among other crucial issues. Excerpt:
hat is the reaction of the African Action Congress (AAC) in Lagos to the arrest and detention of the AAC National Leader, Omoyele Sowore, last Sunday?
The arrest was uncalled for and a waste of tax payers money. Omoyele Sowore is the National Leader of our great party, who has refused to play the kind of politics that destroyed this country. The regime of the day may be afraid of his kind of politics which involves educating the people to rise up against oppression, but they should never be tempted to arrest him illegally again. We frown against it and implore President Bola Ahmed Tinubu to ensure it does not happen again.
Several members of the African Action Congress (AAC) were at the airport when the arrest was carried out. Could you tell us how it happened?
We expected the drama and we prepared for it. The government failed to heed our warning via the social media and the formal media to desist from attempting to arrest Omoyele Sowore. We got to the airport early. He landed around 9.30am and was detained almost immediately.
There was what seemed to be a sort of protest by the African Action Congress (AAC) members at the airport. How long was the protest and what was it meant to achieve?
The protest lasted from 9.am till 11.am around the time Omoyele Sowore was released. The protest was meant to prevent the arrest of Omoyele Sowore and also to protest against the general tyranny of the President Bola Tinubu’s regime. As you know, Bola Ahmed Tinubu arrested hundreds of citizens in relation to the #EndBadGovernance protest and many of them are still in jail.
What were the reasons given by the Immigration for arresting Omoyele Sowore?
They have no concrete reason for arresting Sowore than following the orders of their pay masters. Immigrations should watch out for terrorists, kidnappers, criminal syndicates, drug dealers and political crooks that have ruined our country, not Omoyele Sowore, who is a blessing to this country.
Is the African Action Congress (AAC) or Omoyele Sowore himself thinking of a legal action against the Federal Government over the perceived illegal arrest?
We have, as a body responded to them politically. For legal actions, we are still keeping our fingers crossed.
The Directorate of State Services (DSS) and the Police authorities had earlier indicated that Comrade Sowore would be arrested on landing in Nigeria from United States. What did the party and its lawyers do to forestall the arrest?
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President Bola Ahmed Tinubu is in a whole lot of pressure to have arrested over 500 people due to the #EndBadGovernance protest and further attempt to arrest Omoyele Sowore. We warned them through the social and formal media to desist from carrying out such action. Arresting Comrade Omoyele Sowore was an attempt to distract the party from major issues. But, it failed woefully. The African Action Congress (AAC) is the only party opposing the evil politics of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu. Arresting Omoyele Sowore and setting us into another round of #FreeSowore protests like during the former President Muhammadu Buhari regime would have been a big distraction to us. However, our lawyers were already on standby. We are not a party that can be intimidated by Department of State Service (DSS), Police or the courts. We are law abiding citizens fighting to liberate Nigeria.
Could you tell us how he was released same day without they taking him to Abuja as earlier planned by security agencies?
The protest in the airport and the social media noise was difficult to ignore. Our members were ready to move into the airport terminal, if he was not released. It would have been a total disgrace for the Bola Ahmed Tinubu regime if they had attempted to move Omoyele Sowore out of the airport. After seizing his international passport and detaining him immediately he landed, they had no option than to release him after a few hours
How did you see the high tension created in Edo State during before and after the governorship election?
The high tension is due to the fact that the current establishment failed the people and the elite political parties that are also on the ballot are not different. If we had three or four political parties like the African Action Congress (AAC) on the ballot, the tension would be low, because we do not play do-or-die politics. But, what is truly sad is that the men that are supposed to prevent tension and violence would rather go after citizens, activists and journalists that are standing against the impunity of President Bola Tinubu’s regime.
What is your party’s plan towards the Ondo governorship election which will take place later in the year?
We have no other plan than to win. The African Action Congress (AAC) is presenting to the Ondo people the best. They should go to the ballot and ensure they get victory for the AAC party. Adekunle Wizeman Ajayi is a man of the people. Ondo people should go give him the victory. The people of Ondo cannot afford to be ‘unlucky’.
How do you see the actions of the federal and state governments towards activists?
What we have now is a childish regime. They are losing daily. They are cooking up loads of lies just to justify their actions to carry out various illegal arrests. Bola Ahmed Tinubu is an international disgrace. Unfortunately, he is a western imperialist puppet. So, they would look away from his impunity. What is sure is that Nigerians prevail. For all the so-called activists that are also cooperating with tyranny towards disrupting protests and preventing resistance, history would surely remember their wickedness.
What is your take on the October 1 planned nationwide protest by activists?
Nigerians should shut down the country from October 1 till subsidy is returned in the oil and education sectors. Nigerians should also ensure that all other various demands are meant. Nigerians should stop dying in silence, fight for your life.
