By Abiola Olawale
The Pan Yoruba socio-cultural organization, Afenifere, has criticized President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for allegedly approving what it called intimidation of individuals who engaged in peaceful protests since the beginning of his tenure.
The organization also accused the President of going against the principles of democracy and sliding into what it described as fascism.
The National Publicity Secretary of Afenifere, Justice Faloye, made the remarks on Wednesday while addressing a press in Lagos State.
According to Faloye, Nigerians no longer have the right to peaceful protests, and they are scared of being criminalised.
He said: “We are concerned about how this administration is going. Not only is the NLC President being harassed, but we have hundreds of people in jail for treason for partaking in hunger protests.
“The economy has completely collapsed under this present administration, people who have been outspoken against the administration are being arrested and detained.
“We have criminalization of protest under Tinubu where peaceful protesters are threatened, harassed, attacked, arrested and detained unjustly. What do you call all these other than fascism?
“Even the international community has accused Tinubu of criminalizing peaceful protests in a democratic dispensation and condemned the trend.
This is unacceptable. This is not democracy anymore. We are sliding into fascism.
“We have urged President Tinubu to listen to the advice of Professor Wole Soyinka recently about fascism.
“We need to ensure Nigeria does not slide into a fascist dictatorship which the Tinubu administration is doing.
“When you arrest underage people because of protest, when you criminalize or select a whole ethnicity and attack people who criticize you, that is fascism.
“A Journalist called Soyinka was arrested and detained, President Nigeria Labour Congress, Joe Ajaero, arrested and detained, protesters arrested and detained. We are gradually moving into Gen Abacha days if we are not careful.
“We are hereby asking for immediate release of those locked up for treason. What Nigerians are facing in terms of inflation rate, corruption, and economic sabotage is better described as treason.
“The present administration is insensitive to the plights of Nigerians. Economic hardship is biting harder. No hope in sight.
“For the last 20 years, Afenifere has criticized the way Tinubu has been ruling because we are a social welfarist group. We believe in life abundantly; even in Lagos, he didn’t do it.
“Lagos would have collapsed under Tinubu if not for the import market we have here, is not because of what he has done.”
