Security Agencies, Shine Your Eyes On, Take It Back Movement

 

By Chukwudi Amaefule

 

I laughed after reading a letter from the Take It Back Movement telling the FCT Minister Wike to release Eagle Square for the planned demonstration.

 

In a letter signed by Damilare Adenola, Director of Mobilization for the Take It Back Movement (TIB) in Abuja, the protesters demanded unrestricted access to the venue 24/7 throughout the protest and possibly even after it concludes.

 

The letter read, “I write you as the Director of Mobilization, Take It Back Movement (TIB) to your office to grant us access to the Eagles Square between August 1st and 10th, 2024, for our #DaysOfRage, #EndBadGovernance protest.

 

“This request entails using this national asset day and night for the duration of the historic protest.

 

“Also, note that the protest may be prolonged beyond ten days as we embark on the protracted crisis occasioned by the ruling party.

 

“Further, your office must also ensure the provision of a 24-hour power supply, toilet facilities, water, and security for the convenience of Nigerian citizens who will be camped out at Eagle Square.

 

“In short, we ask that the protesters are accorded the courtesy accorded to foreign and local official dignitaries who have frequently used the space.

 

“In addition, we request that the outer wire mesh barrier facing the Aso Rock Villa be removed in the meantime, as protesters may decide to visit the Presidential Villa during the protest.

 

“It is our sincere hope that this request will be granted expeditiously.”

 

My biggest shock came when I also read the letter from a human rights activist, Ebun-Olu Adegboruwa (SAN), notifying security agencies, requesting protection over planned public meetings, rallies, and processions by a non-governmental body, the Take It Back Movement, its members, some patriotic Nigerians, and groups.

 

In the letter dated Friday, July 26, 2024, the senior advocate writing as solicitor to the Take It Back Movement notified the Inspector General of Police (IGP) and the Director of the Department of State Services (DSS) that the planned rallies would commence from August 1 to 10, 2024, or any time thereafter.

 

He said the rallies would be held at the Eagle Square in Abuja and other public spaces in the capital cities of the 36 states and the headquarters of the 774 local government councils.

 

Adegboruwa, while reiterating the role of the security agencies during such rallies and protests, urged the leadership of the security agencies to make available the details of any of their officers or teams that will be assigned to cover the said meetings, rallies, or processes to harmonise plans and strategies for the same.

 

My thinking after reading from the Movement and its sponsor about the planned protest was that the security agencies, especially the DSS and the Nigeria Police, would investigate those behind the Take It Back Movement, especially after Bayo Onanuga, special adviser on information and strategy to President Bola Tinubu, has alleged that supporters of Peter Obi are behind the proposed nationwide protest.

 

On 17th September 2022, the Take-It-Back Movement knocked the Nigeria Police Force over the shameful invasion of the supporters of the Labour Party who had gathered in Abakaliki, the Ebonyi State capital, to rally in support of their presidential candidate, Peter Obi.

 

The Take-It-Back Movement, in a release on Saturday by its Director of Media and Communications, Dr Chidi Nwanyanwu, described the action of the police as “criminal, lawless, and a flagrant disregard for rights to peaceful assembly.”

 

The statement reads, “The Take It Back Movement strongly condemns the violent repression of supporters of the Labour Party who had gathered in Abakaliki to rally in support of their candidate." We describe the action of the police as criminal, lawless, and a flagrant disregard for the right to peaceful assembly.

 

“We worry that while insurgents and all sorts of armed criminals have made the entire country unsafe, especially with the recent deadly attack on Ifeanyi Ubah's convoy, the police has chosen unsurprisingly to concern itself with indulging in criminal repression of peaceful gatherings and offering itself to be used by the ruling party, APC, to repress oppositions.

 

“We wish to remind the police that as an institution funded by the Nigerian people, it is duty bound to protect our rights to peaceful assembly and ensure the maximum protection of Nigerians whether they are in political rallies, protests, meetings, and all other activities within the confines of their constitutional rights.

 

“While we call on well-meaning Nigerians to rise against the fascism of the APC and its attempt to make the electoral processes violent and non-credible, we also call for the immediate arrest and prosecution of all officers involved in the lawlessness that happened today in Abakaliki.

 

“Meanwhile we call on all Nigerians to understand that ā real political change can only come through a revolutionary alternative like Omoyele Sowore and the African Action Congress (AAC). Instead of negotiating with fascist rulers like David Umahi, like Peter Obi is doing, what is needed is to call the bluff of these rogue elements once and for all.

 

“This takes real and tested courage, and we urge all Nigerians who want to build another country away from want and war to ignore all sentiments and join the revolutionary train. For it is such a principled and ever-ready train that can defend the votes of Nigerians come the 2023 elections.”

 

(https://saharareporters.com/2022/09/17/take-it-back-movement-condemns-police-assault-disruption-labour-partys-peter-obi-rally)

 

Also, on 14th March 2023, the headline "This Nigerian Voter Created A National Movement for Peter Obi" was the major news online via (https://www.zikoko.com/citizen/this-nigerian-voter-created-a-national-movement-for-peter-obi/)

 

The news reads, "Today’s Nigerian voter focuses on @Jack_ng01, the founder of the Take Back Naija movement, a political movement that was campaigning for Peter Obi. He tells us his motivations for the movements, their achievements, and his reaction when Obi lost the 2023 presidential elections.

 

“The Nigerian Voter” is Blessing, an IT professional in his early thirties. He also convenes the Take Back Naija movement, mobilising youths nationwide towards garnering support for Labour Party presidential candidate Peter Obi. Citizen spoke with him about his political journey and inspiration for birthing the group. He also shared how he felt about Obi not being declared the winner for the 2023 elections and his future goals with the movement towards the gubernatorial elections.

 

What made you interested in politics?

 

My interest in politics started in 2006 when I lived with my uncle. Then he was a councillor in his local government, and I often listened to him having political conversations about the Anambra and Enugu state governments in the parlour. We also listened to news stations on the radio and television frequently, as well as in newspapers. I also noticed that my uncle was calm, quiet, and a good person all around, yet he was in politics. This gave me the mindset that not all politicians were bad people. You could also find good ones too.

 

However, I started to get involved in politics in 2010 in the Anambra State elections. I was the deputy ward secretary of Nanka Ward 1, and my mum was the woman leader at the time. Since then, I either voted (from the 2011-2023 election cycles) or made sure I could sensitise people towards political awareness. I didn’t do all of this on a grand scale until 2021.

 

From 2011-2023, who did you vote for, and why did you vote for them?

 

I voted for Goodluck Jonathan in 2011. I can’t exactly say that it was a conscious decision. He was the preferred choice for most people in the South. This was despite the fact that I wasn’t a People’s Democratic Party (PDP) member then but a card-carrying member of the Action Congress of Nigeria (ACN). The ACN candidate then was Nuhu Ribadu, but most didn’t think he stood a chance.

 

In 2015, I displayed my interest in Goodluck Jonathan again in the elections via social media. However, I couldn’t vote because I had just relocated from Anambra to Abuja, and I didn’t have the chance to transfer my Permanent Voter’s Card (PVC).

 

In 2019, I travelled to Anambra to vote for Atiku Abubakar of the PDP, and of course, I voted for Peter Obi of the Labour Party (LP) in 2023.

 

Which election year would you say you had your craziest election experience?

 

The 2023 election was my craziest because I played a major role in the elections.

 

What was this major role?

 

I was a convener for the Take Back Naija political movement in 2022. It was basically youths coming together to influence a change for good governance from federal to local government. The politics we played in Nigeria over the years had not really worked for Nigeria. Thus, we must shift from what we are used to doing something different.

 

How did your movement influence this change?

 

We did this by making sure we scrutinised each potential presidential candidate and their antecedents. It was then decided that whoever we saw as our preferred candidate would be given enormous support. We would mobilise for his campaign, raise funds, advertise, arrange conferences, etc. It then became our duty or mandate to help these candidates with their campaigns when they align with the people’s values.

 

After much deliberation, we concluded that Obi’s antecedents and his plans for Nigeria aligned with our values and represented the future kind of politics we wanted. Even the name for the movement came from one of his speeches where he said, “Take back your country; it is your future they are toying with.” The campaign for Obi officially started in January 2022.

 

What did Take Back Naija do for Peter Obi?

 

As of January 2022, Peter Obi was still a member of the PDP with presidential ambitions. We then met with PDP delegates in Abuja in the form of a peaceful protest to convince them to elect Peter Obi for president. This was coupled with a social hashtag, #GiveUsPeterObi. We also organised the first nationwide one million man march for Peter Obi in May 2022 and erected billboards in major cities in Nigeria such as Port Harcourt, Lagos, Abuja, and even some Northern cities such as Kaduna and Sokoto. We had radio jingles for him at the early stage of the campaign and many more.

 

Shortly after, Obi and his team resigned from the PDP to the Labour Party before the PDP primaries. We examined his previous speeches and broadcast critical soundbites on his plans for Nigerian citizens. There was also created a website for Obi and a Telegram community for Obi supporters in various locations across Nigeria. A press release was distributed while Obi was still a member of the PDP. In the press release, we told PDP delegates that we’d give at least ten million votes if they gave us Peter Obi (if he won at the PDP primaries).

 

Getting people to support the movement even after he left was easy because the man had a way of inspiring voters.

 

Is it your team that inspired the Obidient movement?

 

No one can fully lay claim to the “Obidient” movement, as it just happened organically. However, if there is anyone to be responsible for it, it should be Obi. Without him, the movement would not exist.

 

What was your reaction when Obi wasn’t declared winner of the 2023 presidential elections?

 

Personally, I didn’t feel bad because I knew that Obi was the true winner of the election. I also didn’t feel bad because I believed that we did all the things that we should do as young people towards the elections. We only overtrusted INEC in believing that they were going to do the right thing by not rigging.

 

How hopeful are you about Obi’s victory in court?

 

I don’t trust the court system, to be honest. Even if a ruling is given, executives don’t even obey. I don’t have faith in the judicial system, but somehow I believe that we can reclaim our mandate. This is because I know Obi to be a fighter and that God has ordained his path. Let the will of God be done. However, whatever happens outside now, I am at peace that we wrote our names on the right side of history.

 

Amazing. Are you voting for anyone in the gubernatorial elections on March 18?

 

Sadly, I wouldn’t be voting on March 18 because Abuja doesn’t hold governorship elections. The president can only appoint a Federal Capital Territory (FCT) minister. However, this doesn’t mean the Take Back Naija team rests on our oars. We’d be campaigning for Gbadebo Rhodes-Vivour of the Labour Party because he is smart, honest, and transparent. I like certain things he discusses in his manifesto, such as transparency in Lagos and free medical insurance. For me, this serves as a breath of fresh air.

 

From the above information, it will be disastrous for the Federal Government to grant the group any right to carry out its planned protest as it will amount to a complete coup d'état.

 

A stitch in time saves nine.

 

Chukwudi Amaefule writes from Anambra State and can be reached via https://web.facebook.com/chukwudi.amaefule.52

 

Obidient Is An Igbo Political Organisation

 By Olutayo Ayodele

 

Today's Punch publication unarguably reveals the fundamental flaw in the superstructure of the Obidient Movement. All the 53 amorphous subgroups which make up the spatial structure of the movement are headed by persons who are Igbos.          

 

It becomes crystal clear that Peter Obi heads a political movement whose sole purpose is to force an Igbo ethnic agenda on Nigeria under the presence of establishing a new political order.

 

I recalled that the Chairman, of the 9th Senate Committee on Cooperation and Integration in Africa/NEPAD, Senator Chimaroke Nnamani, Enugu East, once took a swipe at the presidential candidate of the Labour Party, Peter Obi, alleging that he introduced religious and ethnic politics in Nigeria.

 

The former Enugu State Governor said that reviewing the activities of last year's elections, he concluded that “Peter Obi deflowered the virgin innocence of political patriotism and nationalism in Nigeria.

 

“For his ethnic war, he spread across Igbo-domiciled areas across Nigeria, specifically markets and shopping malls. He picked out Christian minority areas for his campaigns in Northern and Central Nigeria. His dual opium of tribalism and religious bigotry has made National Landing depart no more.”

 

The Labour Party, with the support of the Obidient, won and has a subnational government in place in Abia State. What is new in Abia today?

 

During the campaign, the DG, Akin Osuntokun who happened to be from the South West, was just like a figurehead as Obi's SSG, who is from the East, for 8 years, was technically in charge of the campaign committee from day one to the dissolution of the campaign committee.

 

After the elections, I had anticipated that the Obidient movement would give up on its punishing mission and transform into an ideological pressure group—a respectable opposition. However, the movement remains far from being civil and ideological. It has grown more feral, nastier, desperate, and brutal. The Obidient movement is beginning to resemble a gang of rebels.

 

The Obidient movement comprised mainly of political neophytes and tribal bigots is characteristically misguided, and uncultured holding on fanatically to an erroneous belief that Obi won the 2023 Presidential elections despite his obvious lack of support from the North West and South West. These two zones make up about 50% of total votes at every national election since the 1st Republic.

All Nigerians' security is at risk from any movement that is not motivated by the country's interests. The Obidient movement doesn't seem to care that its tactics harm both national security and the collective consciousness. I worry that a few individuals from the banned organisation, IPOB, might be in positions of authority inside the movement.

 

The use of violent threats, lies, and acts against people who disagree portends a more dire future. Individuals fighting Nigeria through other channels may be using the Obidient movement as a political forum.

 

The already deteriorated relations between Nigerians from different ethnic backgrounds are being made worse by the movement's tactics. This is the origin of interethnic conflict. Contrary to popular belief, it is not the case that the Yoruba and Igbo are at odds with one another. The remainder of Nigeria is up against the "Obidients."

 

I see Nigeria as a symbol of hope and promise for a better present and future, of fortitude and bravery to rise from nothing and dust, of purpose amid chaos, of brotherhood amid differences, and of love even in perilous circumstances.

 

Olutayo Ayodele is a freelance writer based in Lagos State. 

AUG Foundation Gives Cash Assistance To Nursing Mothers, Vulnerable Women, Children

The AUG Foundation for Orphans and Less Privileged has offered cash donations to nursing mothers, aged men and women, as well as vulnerable children receiving treatment at King Fahad Hospital Gusau in Zamfara State.

An official of the Foundation, Abdul Bala-Gusau who presented the gesture on behalf of the AUG Foundation for Orphans and Less Privileged Founder,  Abdulhafiz Barau Umar to the beneficiaries in Gusau on Saturday, said the financial assistance was aimed at providing succour to the patients who were admitted in the hospital.

“Over 30 patients including nursing mothers, aged women and vulnerable children receiving treatment in the hospital benefited from the gesture.

“We learned that considering the current economic hardship faced by Nigerians, many patients can not take care of their hospital bills.

“Many of these patients receiving treatment suffering from various health challenges but difficult for them to pay medical bills”, He said.

Bala-Gusau said more intervention programs are on the way from the foundation to assist vulnerable groups. 

Sa’adatu Abubakar and Muhammad Aliyu who spoke on behalf of the beneficiaries commended the foundation for the gesture as they prayed for the donors of Allah’s reward.