By
Ola Olateju
There is a gathering storm over Nigeria’s democracy. The signs are no longer subtle – the suppression of dissent, the weaponization of state security forces, and the criminalization of peaceful protest. The recent arrest of human rights activist Omoyele Sowore and several other citizens who took to the streets in peaceful protest marks a new and dangerous low in Nigeria’s democratic journey.
*Democracy on Trial*
As former Vice President Atiku Abubakar observed in his press release, the arrest of Sowore “inside a courtroom is a new low, an open assault on democracy and a grave symbol of this administration’s contempt for the rule of law.” Atiku’s words echo the fears of millions who now watch, with growing alarm, as the government continues to treat dissent as a crime.
It is a tragic irony that those who once marched on the streets in defiance of tyranny now preside over a government that brutalizes citizens for doing the same. The administration of President Bola Tinubu has, through its actions, demonstrated intolerance toward opposition voices and civic activism. Peaceful protesters are dispersed by force, journalists harassed, and critics silenced – all under the pretext of maintaining public order.
*A Police Force Turned Political Enforcer*
The conduct of the Nigeria Police Force in recent times has deepened public concern. Once tasked with protecting lives and property, the police have now become willing enforcers of political repression. Reports abound of officers shielding those who assault citizens at political gatherings, particularly targeting members of the African Democratic Congress (ADC) and other opposition groups, while turning their weapons on unarmed Nigerians exercising their right to free assembly.
This transformation of the police from protectors to persecutors is the hallmark of emerging tyranny. It represents a betrayal of their constitutional duty and a threat to every citizen’s freedom.
*The Right to Protest is Not a Crime*
Peaceful protest is a cornerstone of democracy. It is how citizens remind their leaders that sovereignty belongs to the people, not to those who temporarily occupy power. The Nigerian Constitution guarantees freedom of expression and peaceful assembly, yet the current government behaves as though these rights were privileges to be granted or withdrawn at will.
To protest is not to rebel. It is to participate. The right to dissent is the oxygen of democracy, and to suppress it is to suffocate the republic itself.
*A Call to Conscience*
The continuing detention of Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, leader of the Indigenous People of Biafra (IPOB), for nearly ten years despite numerous court rulings granting him bail, remains a moral and constitutional scandal. His plight has become emblematic of the government’s growing disregard for judicial authority and fundamental human rights.
Nigerians who protested recently to demand his release were not criminals; they were citizens demanding justice. Yet, instead of dialogue, they were met with teargas, batons, and handcuffs. This is not democracy. It is tyranny wearing civilian clothes.
*Silence is Not Neutrality*
When injustice becomes law, silence becomes complicity. The gradual normalization of repression must not be met with indifference. History teaches us that tyranny thrives not only on the cruelty of the oppressor but also on the silence of the oppressed.
The lessons of Nigeria’s own past from the days of military dictatorship to the pro-democracy struggles of the 1990s demand that citizens resist the erosion of freedoms with courage and unity. Those who fought for democracy did not do so to see it replaced by a civilian dictatorship draped in democratic garments.
*The Way Forward*
Nigeria must choose between democracy or dictatorship. The line between both is being blurred daily by actions that undermine rights and criminalize dissent. Civil society, political parties, labour unions, professional bodies, students, and the media must come together to defend the civic space before it is completely erased.
We, therefore, join all voices of conscience, including that of Atiku Abubakar, in demanding the immediate and unconditional release of Omoyele Sowore, Mazi Nnamdi Kanu, and all those arrested for exercising their constitutional rights.
Let it be known that Nigerians will not be bullied into silence. Peaceful protest is not treason. Dissent is not disloyalty. And the yearning for justice is not rebellion.
The right to protest is the heartbeat of democracy. To criminalize it is to murder that democracy in cold blood.
#FreeSowore #FreeNnamdiKanu #EndRepression #StandForDemocracy #NigeriaMustRise
