I condemn, without reservation and irrespective of my political affiliation, the violence unleashed on Omoyele Sowore in Ekiti State. Such conduct is disgraceful, dangerous and incompatible with the democratic values for which many of us fought and suffered.
Whatever anyone thinks of Sowore, his politics or his methods, disagreement cannot justify assault. No individual or group has the right to turn political displeasure into a licence to brutalise another citizen.
Democracy demands that a thousand ideas be allowed to flower. Some will persuade us; others will irritate, offend or strike us as foolish. The right to express an opinion cannot depend on whether those in power find it agreeable. A freedom available only to people who praise the government is no freedom at all.
We must also distinguish disagreement from disloyalty. A citizen does not become an enemy of Ekiti because he criticises its government, nor an enemy of Nigeria because he challenges its President. The state belongs equally to its supporters, its critics and those who have yet to make up their minds.
These were among the freedoms we demanded under military rule. Some of us lost our liberty, endured solitary confinement and lived under the constant threat of death because we insisted that Nigerians must be free to speak, organise and challenge those who govern them. We cannot now excuse the suppression of those freedoms because our party holds office.
Here in Ekiti, we know the wounds inflicted by political intolerance. During Governor Ayo Fayose’s administration, many of us experienced intimidation and violence. I recall attacks on opposition gatherings, including the beating of former Governor Segun Oni for convening a meeting.
I also recall the attack on our meeting at Omugbagba in Ado-Ekiti in 2006. Our gathering was disrupted, leaders were assaulted, more than twenty vehicles were destroyed, and several party members subsequently faced arrest and detention.
There was also an occasion during Fayose’s administration when Bola Ahmed Tinubu, Niyi Adebayo, Olusegun Osoba, Bisi Akande and many of us were held in Iyin-Ekiti for close to twelve hours. Our offence? We were opposition figures who had come from different parts of the country to attend the funeral of Senator Opeyemi Bamidele’s mother. Even the solemn duty of mourning with a colleague became an occasion for political intimidation.Follow Politics
Those of us who endured that indignity must never excuse its infliction on anyone else. The lesson of our suffering must be to protect freedom whenever it is threatened, regardless of whose freedom is at stake.
We remember, too, the violence at Ijigbo during the campaign for Governor Kayode Fayemi’s second term, when a young man from Ijero Local Government Area lost his life. These memories should deepen our resolve to protect others from what we suffered.
Having condemned intimidation when we were its victims, we must condemn it with equal conviction now that our party is in government. Our experience of injustice should have taught us empathy and restraint. Otherwise, we risk reducing our historic opposition to oppression to a mere quarrel over who should wield it.Access Services
One of the qualities I have consistently credited Governor Biodun Abayomi Oyebanji with is his rejection of political violence and his willingness to accommodate alternative viewpoints. He has spoken for peaceful politics and demonstrated that disposition in his dealings with others. No one should tarnish that record or drag Ekiti back into the disrepute of political thuggery. It is good to know that Governor Oyebanji has dissociated himself and his government from this dastardly act . When I spoke to him about it yesternight I could feel his sincerity.
The clearest defence of that record will be a transparent investigation and accountability for everyone found responsible, whatever their connections or political affiliation.
Anyone who comes to Ekiti to campaign, address a meeting, grant an interview or peacefully promote a political cause must be able to do so without fear. That space is a democratic entitlement. It is not a favour bestowed by the ruling party.
We are free to challenge their arguments, question their records and reject their proposals. We are free to campaign against them and defeat them at the polls. We are not free to beat them into silence.
The right to speak also protects the public’s right to listen, weigh competing arguments and make informed choices. When violence drives one voice out of the public square, it diminishes the freedom of every citizen who might have wished to hear that voice.
Indeed, a democracy without opposition would need to create the conditions for opposition to emerge. Critical voices expose complacency, demand explanations and remind officeholders that public power is held in trust. Those who disagree with us may sometimes serve the public better than those who applaud everything we do.
Sowore does not have to be right on every issue for his rights to deserve protection. Neither does he have to be polite, popular or politically convenient. The real test of our democratic convictions is whether we defend the freedom of people whose views we would rather not hear.
As we say in Yoruba, “Èébú ò o- insults do not stick. A politician must develop the temperament to endure criticism, ridicule and even harsh words. Where anyone believes that speech has crossed a lawful boundary, the remedy must be sought through lawful institutions. Thugs cannot become our judges, and violence cannot become our answer.
The security agencies have a particular responsibility here. Protecting citizens and ensuring peaceful political activity must be central to their work. Political affiliation must never determine whose distress call receives attention or whose injuries are taken seriously.
As the next general election approaches, security agencies should make credible arrangements to protect candidates, campaigners and the public. Opposition figures must be able to trust that those charged with their safety will act impartially. Every citizen deserves protection, whether or not that citizen is seeking public office.
Had Sowore lost his life in this attack, the human tragedy would have been irreparable. The damage to Ekiti’s reputation, to the standing of its government and to confidence in Nigeria’s electoral process would also have been immense. We must never allow political recklessness to carry us to such a point.
I welcome the reported arrests. But arrest is only the beginning. There must be a thorough and impartial investigation, a fair prosecution where evidence warrants it, and appropriate punishment for anyone convicted. Any person found to have organised, sponsored or facilitated the violence must also face the law.
Finally, those of us in the ruling party must remember that no party holds power forever. The freedoms we safeguard for the opposition today are the freedoms on which we may depend tomorrow. We cannot build a political culture of intimidation and expect it to become tolerant the moment we lose office.
But even if we could remain in office forever, our obligation would be the same: every citizen deserves dignity, equal protection and the space to be heard.
Ekiti must be a place where ideas contend freely and citizens participate without fear. Our history, our sacrifices and our reputation as a people of learning demand nothing less.
Let Sowore speak. Let those who disagree with him answer him. Let the people decide.
