Yele Sowore flees to US, promises to join youths virtually while he incites them to cause mayhem in Nigeria
The main convener of the planned nationwide protests tagged, 10 Days of Rage, Mr. Omoyele Sowore has reportedly fled to the state of New Jersey in the United States as the protest date he has been heavily mobilising Nigerians for draws closer.
In a recent TV interview, Mr. Sowore confirmed he was currently in New Jersey.
When asked how he intends to be in New Jersey while calling for protests in Nigeria, Sowore tried to dribble his way out of the question by attempting to give a vague answer. However, after being repeatedly asked to confirm if he would physically participate in the protests he has been mobilising people to join for weeks, Sowore said that he will join the protests virtually from his base in New Jersey.
Sowore said, “I have participated in over 200 protests and the world has gone beyond physical engagement.”
“I am not here to defend whether I will be there or not. Wait until then. But what I am saying is that it is irrelevant”, Sowore retorted.
This latest development is coming on the heels of accusations from some quarters that the planned protests are geared towards destabilising the country and inciting citizens against the government of the day.
Already, there are discordant tunes and messages emanating from various other protest organisers that has raised questions on the genuineness of the protests.
Some protest organisers are already taking hardline positions and making untenable demands such as the stepping down of the democratically elected government of President Bola Ahmed Tinubu who is just over a year old.
These calls coming from known supporters of losing presidential candidates in the last elections makes the case of those who describe the protests as politically-motivated stronger.
A lot of influential leaders, including religious and traditional institutions have warned against the national protests. Many interest groups, youth and student bodies have equally distanced themselves from the planned protests. Some critics of the protests have argued that the planned protests lack coordination and recognisable leaders.
With the latest indication that the most recognisable face planning the protests, Omoyele Sowore, is not going to be on ground to lead the protest he is coordinating, it bolsters the argument of those who see the protests as a grand plan to achieve through other means what some of the politicians allegedly financing the protests could not achieve through the ballot in 2023.