Okwe Obi, Abuja
The Coalition of Concerned Patriots for Peace and Development (COCOPED), has petitioned the United Nations (UN), the United Kingdom (UK), Germany, France and Canada over the continuous protest by an activist, Omoyele Sowore, under the guise of #EndSARS, even when the Federal Government had promised to meet the 5 demands.
The group said the continuous agitation could truncate the fragile peace in the country and appealed to the international community to deny him asylum if the protest gets messier.
The letter, entitled: ‘An Open Letter On The Plot By Sowore To Incite Violence Against The Federal Government, was jointly signed by heads of Coalition of Igbo Professional, Dr Chibuzor Amechi; Coalition of Yoruba Elders for Peace and Good Governance); Dr Aremu Gbenga; and, Coalition of Northern Professionals), Barr Mohammed Ibrahim.
The letter reads: “We are constraint by events of the last one week to write this open letter to you, to intimate you of premeditated moves by one Omoyele Sowore to incite public disturbance against the Nigerian Government.
“Your Excellency, our resort to this open letter is occasioned by the urgency of the situation, as intelligence at our disposal has confirmed that Sowore, who certainly has sponsors, has concluded plans to hijack the now-rested #EndSARS protests, to allegedly cause anarchy in Nigeria, thereby instigating an illegal change of government.
“As a guide, may we draw your attention to the protests of Sunday, November 1, 2020 at the Nnamdi Azikiwe International Airport, and the Force Headquarters’ precincts – all in Abuja – as well as that of Friday, November 6, at the entrance to the National Assembly, which was led by Sowore.
“With the benefit of hindsight, we fear that this ongoing move has the potential of disrupting the peace and security of the country that is yet to recover from the killings, looting and destruction of public and private property that attended the wave of nationwide protests, a few weeks ago.
“We are alarmed that Sowore, who was barred by a Federal High Court in Abuja from participating in or addressing public rallies/protests, as part of the conditions for his bail, will be spearheading this latest affront.
“This valid court order, which has not been set aside, either by the trial court or by the Court of Appeal, is pending the determination of the criminal charge.”
It added: “We, therefore, request your Excellency to take note of the deliberate acts of incitement and violence being orchestrated by Sowore, to deny him asylum, in the event that he seeks any, after succeeding in his wicked agenda.
“We trust that the Nigerian Government will activate the relevant laws within its disposal, to rein in this man, whose “dog-in-the-manger” tendency must not be allowed accommodation.
“The Constitution of the Federal Republic of Nigeria 1999 (as amended) only favours the change of government through the instrumentality of the ballot – an exercise that comes after a period of four years.
“We advise politicians, whose quest for power was not successful, to wait and test their popularity in the next round of elections, rather than seek to instigate unrest, to satisfy their selfish ends, and those of their pay-masters.”