Ayo Alonge

A group, under the aegis of the Democracy Watch Africa, has alleged that the planned #RevolutionNow protest, recently mooted by a former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, was being sponsored by the Amnesty International.

The group made the disclosure at a rally held at Freedom Park, in Lagos.

While calling for caution on a move that might overheat the polity, the group, which is the umbrella body of over 30 civil society organisations in West Africa, said the planned protest was a “grave misdemeanour that must be viewed from the prism of treason against the Nigerian nation as there is no justification whatsoever to warrant such revolution under whatever guise, except for mischievous and suspicious reasons”.

President of the group, Josephine Okpara, who spoke during the protest, also demanded the expulsion of Amnesty International from Nigeria. Okpara fingered Amnesty International as the sponsors of the planned revolution.

She said: “We wish to state that the organisers of the planned protest are acting against the interest of Nigeria, as a country, and Nigerians, as a people, under the active support of some external forces that are bent on destabilising the country.

“The planned protest is a grave misdemeanour that must be viewed from the prism of treason against the Nigerian nation as there are from all indication no justification whatsoever to warrant such a despicable act under whatever guise.

“The Democracy Watch Africa views such actions as despicable, ill-timed, mischievous and orchestration of some external forces who have some collaborators in Nigeria like the Amnesty International whose actions in recent times have indicated that their mission in Nigeria is to cause disaffection and mutual suspicion between the government and the people.”