Ex APC spokesman tells DSS to name #RevolutionNow sponsors

A former deputy national publicity secretary of the All Progressives Congress (APC), Timi Frank, has challenged the Department of State Security Service (DSS) to make public the names of the Nigerians abroad and the foreign collaborators allegedly sponsoring the #RevolutionNow protest.

Frank started this while reacting to the arrest of Omoyele Sowore, publisher of an online news platform, Sahara Reporters, and convener of the of the #RevolutionNow protest.

Sowore was arrested during the early hours of Saturday, August 2, 2019, in Lagos by officials of the DSS.

The DSS had accused Sowere of “crossing the line” with the protest adding that the Rahara Reporters publisher had been in contact with some “foreign collaborators” to “disrupt” Nigeria’s current political system.

In a statement on Monday, August 5, 2019, Frank described the allegation against Sowore as an attempt to blackmail Nigerians.

“I challenge the DSS to bring out proof that some people abroad are sponsoring Omoyele Sowore's #RevolutionNow protest. The current development has simply shown that the APC government is not used to democratic system of governance hence the fear it continues to create in the mind of Nigerians,” Frank said.

Frank warned the operatives who are currently intimidating and arresting Nigerians to learn from the case of former National Security Adviser, Sambo Dasuki, who had power to arrest anybody then but now under “perpetual detention”.

Frank described as a “lazy thinking” for anybody to conjure that the Sowore-led group is planning to overthrow the current government.

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“If there is anybody breaking the laws of the Federation by their actions it is the present administration and its officials who have no respect for the rule of law nor obey simple court orders.

"Where is the DSS's intelligence that shows that some people are sponsoring the group? If the DSS is so sure of its assertions and not playing the script of the APC’s administration, the secret police should make public the names of the alleged sponsors.

"Nigerians and the whole world now know clearly that the current panic stricken administration is not tolerant and it has just scored own goal by arresting a leader of a civil group demanding good governance without violence or any dangerous weapon."

“The current insecurity, hunger, parlous economy, unmitigated unemployment and disregard for the rule of law under this government has worsen to the extent that Nigerians would not need anybody to pay them before they come out on the streets to protest against bad governance being perpetuated by the APC. 

"What happened in 2014 was not up to this level before Nigerians came out enmass under former President Goodluck Jonathan and the then administration didn't accuse or arrest anybody. The General Muhammadu Buhari-led APC should learn to be tolerant," Frank said.

Meanwhile, some #RevolutionNow protesters in Lagos were arrested and teargassed by the Police over alleged “illegal assembly”.

This is even as several Nigerians have continued to call for the release of Sowore, convener of the protest.