*says politician’s conduct is embarrassing to civil society
A coalition of civil society organisations in Nigeria has called for an independent investigation into the reported attack on opposition politician Omoyele Sowore in Ekiti State on Friday, saying the politician’s conduct has become a source of concern.
The coalition advised Sowore, the African Action Congress (AAC) presidential candidate, to withdraw from the electoral process if he was unwilling to participate responsibly.
In a statement issued in Bauchi, Bauchi State, the coalition questioned Sowore’s account of the incident and called for an impartial investigation to establish the facts.
The statement was signed on behalf of the Centre for Public Integrity by Job Samuel Danfulani; John Samuel Nangi for Nigeria Integrity Watch; and Mohammed Ibrahim Sumaila for the Northern Council of Nigeria.
Other signatories included Abdullahi Salisu of the Nigeria Ethnic Nationality Forum and Hassana Mohammed of the Foundation for Democracy in Africa.
The coalition stated: “While we sympathise with Sowore, who claimed that he was attacked and taken to an unknown location, we have also noticed some gaps in his account. He accused the Department of State Services (DSS), the Police and the Ekiti State Government of masterminding the attack.
“We dare say that the allegations are wild and were made long before the facts were independently established. It would seem that Sowore’s allegations were aimed at discrediting the DSS, a security agency currently involved in a legal dispute with him.”
The coalition also questioned the sequence of events in Sowore’s account, including his reported use of his personal social media account and his subsequent appearance at a hospital.
“We question the sequence of events in Sowore’s account, particularly the claim that police personnel attached to him were disarmed by suspected armed thugs.
“How Sowore ended up at a police hospital remains a mystery,” the coalition stated.
It further referred to viral video clips allegedly showing Sowore attacking a lawyer inside the Federal High Court in Abuja and engaging in a heated verbal exchange with prison officers within the court premises.
“The same Sowore, who claimed that he was attacked unprovoked by suspected thugs in Ado-Ekiti, was recently seen in viral video clips attacking a lawyer inside the Federal High Court in Abuja. In another clip, he was seen having a heated verbal exchange with prison officers inside the same court.
“Had the lawyer and the prison officers not restrained themselves, only God knows the kind of violence that would have resulted from both encounters.
“Of particular importance is the statement by the Ekiti State Police Command that the confusion was triggered by an altercation. Given Sowore’s history of confronting people who disagree with him, even in court, it is not impossible that he or his supporters may have triggered the disturbances in Ekiti, which he now describes as an attack by thugs,” the coalition alleged.
The group urged Sowore to refrain from actions capable of causing public disorder.
“We urge Sowore to stop the comedy and also stop hiding behind the pretext of contesting elections to cause chaos,” the coalition stated.
The coalition further urged Sowore to avoid making statements capable of inflaming tensions while the incident is being investigated.
“We call on the authorities to establish what happened and make their findings public. Any inquiry should follow due process and protect the rights of everyone involved,” the coalition added.