Nobel Laureate, Prof. Wole Soyinka, presidential hopeful, Omoyele Sowore and human right activist, Femi Falana, on Sunday joined hundreds of Nigerians to celebrate the posthumous birthday of late human rights activist and legal luminary, Gani Fawehinmi.
The programme, which was organised by the Fawehinmi family, had as theme: “Democracy for the masses through proper and effective governance.”
Speaking around the theme of the event, Sowore lamented that Nigerians made a wrong choice by choosing Olusegun Obasanjo over Gani Fawehinmi in the 2003 presidential election.
He openly disagreed with Senator Shehu who said at the occasion that President Muhammadu Buhari is a man of integrity.
Sowore said,“I want to disagree openly with Senator Sheu Sani that President Buhari is a man of Integrity, President Buhari is not a man of Integrity. A president that could not declare his asset is not a man of integrity. A man that is surrounded by thieves is not a man of integrity. Don’t come and use some political correctness which is only applicable to some people."
Promising to accomplish what Chief Gani Fawehinmi started and could not accomplish, the presidential hopeful vowed to unseat President Buhari and retire all the thieves, regardless of where they are based.
Responding to Soyinka's call on old politicians ‘to retire', the presidential hopeful said: “ I agree with Professor Wole Soyinka that it is time for our elders to retire and rest. I will use even a stronger word - we should throw them out of the window. No, Professor, we are not throwing them out of the window.
They are going to be with us, but some people amongst your generation will have to pay for the sins against the Nigerian nation. They are doing it right now in South Africa, Zuma is facing prosecution, they are doing it in South Korea, the woman who just left is facing prosecution, they are also doing it in Brazil - Lula is going to start his jail term - there is no reason why Nigerian presidents who looted and destroyed this country should not one by one go to jail and be properly prosecuted.
Also speaking at Fawehinmi’s 80th posthumous birthday celebration, Falana admonished Nigerians to make wise decisions and not allow themselves to be tricked by politicians who have nothing to offer come 2019.
The human right activist further pointed out that the power to change the country was in the hands of young Nigerians. He, therefore, urged them to use their Permanent Voter Cards to achieve that in 2019.
Shehu Sani who also spoke at the event said that the country was out of the military rule, but not yet a democracy.
The activist said the country is sick as the ruling elites were not prepared for a real transition to democracy, but were more concerned about their personal interest.
He added that the integrity of one person was not enough to sustain a nation, pointing that Nigeria needs a person that is driven by a set of principles and revolution that will benefit the country.