Sowore was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in 2019 and 2023.
Human rights and pro-democracy group, Take-It-Back Movement (TIB) says it has scheduled a solidarity march for activist Omoyele Sowore over the trumped-up charges of treason brought against him by the Nigerian government.
Sowore was the presidential candidate of the African Action Congress in 2019 and 2023.
A Federal High Court in Abuja in 2019, restricted Sowore’s movement to Abuja as part of the bail conditions granted to him in his trial on charges of treasonable felony.
The Attorney-General of the Federation’s office had filed the charges against him after the State Security Service (SSS, also known as the Department of State Services (DSS) arrested him for calling for a nationwide #RevolutionNow protest against then President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration in August 2019.
He and his co-defendant, Olawale Bakare, who was arrested by the DSS in Osogbo, Osun State, pleaded not guilty to the charges, and were subsequently granted bail on terms and conditions they described as “stringent”.
However, the Court of Appeal in Abuja in April 2022 lifted the movement restriction and declared that the restriction of his movement to Abuja was excessive.
This decision means that he could travel outside Abuja, but he is not allowed to travel beyond the Nigerian territory.
However, Take-It-Back Movement in a statement posted on its verified Twitter handle on Sunday revealed its readiness to embark on a solidarity march scheduled to hold in Abuja on Wednesday, July 5.
The statement reads in part, "If you are anywhere around Abuja on Wednesday 5th of July, 2023, we enjoin you to find your way to the Federal High Court Abuja starting from 8am as we march in solidarity with revolutionary activist, and leader of @TIB movement @YeleSowore, over the trumped-up charges of treason brought against him by the Nigerian government.”
The group explained that the Nigerian government had refused to prosecute the case, only preferring to subject Sowore to harassment and physical attacks.
The statement further reads, "For more than four years, the Nigerian state has placed Sowore under city arrest, unable to visit his family; harassed, tortured and imprisoned multiple times for fighting for justice, and insisting on a total shift from the backward, and corrupt status quo.”
"For more than four years, the Nigerian state have refused to prosecute the case, only preferring to keep Sowore in perpetual detention, subjecting him to harassments, and physical attacks. We reject this as tyrannic, unjust, and call for the immediate dismissal of the ridiculous treason charges," the statement added.
If you are anywhere around Abuja on Wednesday 5th of July, 2023, we enjoin you to find your way to the Federal High Court Abuja starting from 8am as we march in solidarity with revolutionary activist, and leader of @TIBmovement Movement @YeleSowore over the trumped up charges of… pic.twitter.com/Hx0OpkxrQg
— Take it back Movement (@TIBmovement) July 2, 2023