In Nigeria today, one of the most bastardised word is revolution, though not an utterly new lexicon in the Nigerian space; but, a word in recent times that has attracted so many definitions, just as there are many Nigerians. In the end, we found ourselves in a state of quandary in search of a better understanding of its true literary meaning. Even those in the legal profession, who ought to assist us define it properly in consonance with the Constitution confuse us the more. They have brought in all manners of political interpretations to give to selfish and self-conceited definition, not the true English meaning. We are, therefore, at cross-roads, a defining moment in our political journey as a country. We are certainly in a quagmire. That is from where my fear stems.

Quagmire, if not properly handled and addressed, may lead to another civil war. God will not allow this to happen, but we must not forget in such a hurry what Lt-Gen TY Danjuma (retd), a war veteran himself, told us long ago: “No country survives two civil wars...? Nigeria had survived one, a painful and needless one at that. People of my generation who experienced the 1967-1970 war – who are still living – will certainly not pray for another. I experienced it. It was by divine grace that mother and l did not perish in River Niger, Lokoja. Just as mother and child were descending the stair formation in front of GB Ollivant, l said to mother, “let us not enter the river. Let us go home and see how it will end.” Meanwhile, bombs were dropping at various locations in Lokoja that fateful day in 1968. Surprisingly, mother agreed. We went home, dad was home coordinating and, eventually, we all took cover in a cassava plantation in the location of the CAC Church, behind the PHCH office in Lokoja. That was the first time ever a Biafran plane, popularly called at that time “Ojukwu Bomb” came to bomb. Mother and l were on our way to the market, when the plane appeared far up in the sky. Suddenly, it came down, then began to drop bombs in various locations in Lokoja. And, of course, Lokoja, an innocent and cosmopolitan town, was turned up-side-down that Thursday or Friday evening, in 1968. It is, therefore, not a pleasant experience l like anybody to witness again in my life-time. It was, indeed, horrible, devastating and a gory experience.

The Liberian civil war and the Rwanda genocide were too deadly to contemplate. The population of Liberia is just 4,732 million people with a land area of 111.369 kilometres. Rwanda’s population is 12.21 million people, meaning the entire population of both Liberia and Rwanda do not add up to that of Lagos State alone, with a population of over 20 million. Nigeria's population, going by Word Bank figure of 2017, stands at 190.9 million people; with a land area of 923,763 kilometres. If a war should break, God forbid, no country in the African continent can take half of our huge population. Let me quickly add: During the Liberia war, more than 300,000 people died, including two Nigerian journalists (from The Guardian and Champion newspapers) and military personnel through the ECOMOG operations. What caused the Liberian war in the first place? One character known as Sergeant Samuel Doe, a low military personnel and a security guard at the Presidential Mansion, desperately wanted to be president. He planned and killed the president, Mr Williams R Tobert, a fine and unassuming man, who was Liberian president between 1971 and 1980. Greed, superiority contest and self-aggrandisement more than anything else overwhelmed Sgt Doe, culminating into a senseless war that saw to the death of several innocent souls.

The Rwanda genocide began like a play between the Hutus, a majority tribe that controlled the government and the Tutis, a minority tribe, not so influential in government. The president was Mr Juvenal Habyarimana of the tribe of Hutus. In April, 1994, the presidential plane was hit by a strange missile, within the Rwandan airspace with the president on board. The plane crashed and, of course, the president died. The Hutus suspected the Tutis had a hand in it. However, what began as an “innocent passing remark” on a radio programme regarding the presidential crash triggered the genocide: the Hutus versus the Tutis. Overnight, friends from the two tribes became arch-enemies, marriages across the two tribes annihilated and in the end over 1.1million innocent souls went with the genocide, an unhealthy and senseless tribal rivalry.

I have gone into these historical synopses to discourage unscrupulous and inane remarks, however frivolous it may sound, that currently rent the air, inane remarks that tend to provoke war. Yes, l must admit we are faced with a number of challenges: the Boko Haram, kidnapping, Fulani herdsmen; our roads are unsafe, banditry, cultism, plus economic hardship in the land, name it. These are national issues that require our collective inputs, a solution route out of it, not condemnation. Not a time to seek cheap political points, because human lives are involved in all of these. Our political differences must be put aside. If we must talk, let us exercise restraint, be scrupulous and avoid inane remarks. And this is the height of my conversation: The Revolution matter. I, by chance, met Omoyele Sowore, an innocent-looking young man, at the Human Rights Radio, the popular Brekete programme, around the last quarter of 2018. We sat “shoulder-to-shoulder” during the live programe. From my superficial assessment of him, he did not appear to be a man who could hurt a fly. He did not wait till the end of the programme, but before he left, Dr Ahmad Isah, the anchorman of the programme and media chief strategist/executive of the HRR, introduced him (Omoyele) as the owner of Sahara Reporters and a presidential candidate of African Action Congress (AAC).

Thereafter, he became a regular face on television, “mainstream media” and, of course, l began to pay attention to him critically. I was, therefore saddened with his encounter with the personnel of the Department of State Security (DSS) at that unholy hour of the night. However, when l was confronted with the statement Omoyele was alleged to have made. “I'm not talking about protest. I’m embarking on a revolution.....I don’t care.....we must.....out of that place...” I was angry. Unfortunately, some sections have simplified this remark that has desecrated the spirit of the Nigerian Constitution. I do not know of any responsible government anywhere in the world that will treat such a threat lightly. Certainly, none that l know.

Regrettably, however, groups of people have brought political sentiment into it, by wrongly equating Sowore’s revolutionary approach with that of PMB’s in 2011 and Tinubu’s in 2014. It is important, l make this remark. I am not here to hold brief or an attempt to support/justify PMB's position or that of Tinubu’s. My position, and every definition, is to defend the larger “Nigerian project”, not that of any sectional or parochial interest. I have read what PMB said, “..... there is need for a revolution in our electoral process...” That was in tacit follow-up to what late President Umar Yar’Adua said in 2007 that the electoral process that saw his emergence as president was “not credible...” Tinubu said: “....we need a leader with a revolutionary mind to handle our economy...”, meaning we need a leader with a mindset that will appropriately harness our economic fortune, or if you like, a leader that will have the boldness to declare a state of emergency in the economy sector. These remarks are incomparable to “...I’m embarking on revolution. 85 per cent of Nigerians are in support (sic). Do not ask me by what magic he arrived at this percentage)...don’t tell me about legal implications...we must bundle.....out of that place...”

These are confrontational, not friendly, remarks. Having said these, l like to passionately appeal to the Federal Government, in the overall interest of peace and in the face too many challenges, to kindly caution Omoyele Sowore and free him. Let him go. Let us narrow or reduce our challenges. The larger Nigerian population, including our ever-industrious brothers and sisters across the Niger, genuinely desires peace and equity. May God bless our leaders with the wisdom of King Solomon of old. Nigeria shall be great!

•Balogun (BenPino) writes from Wuse District of Abuja; 0803.787.9275

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