By Mike Ozekhome

THE chickens have finally come home to roost. How fast the cookies crumble! The hitherto veiled crude assault on Nigeria’s democracy and democratic ethos has finally been lifted by a desperate, clueless, rudderless and non performing APC government that has been nothing short of a “one- chance” vehicle of fake and failed promises of “change”.

Yes, “change” there has been, but one of negative, retrogressive and anti-people “change” that has not only impoverished and degraded Nigerians, but has actually endangered and imperilled our hard worn democracy, and enthroned incredible mediocrity, nepotism, cronyism, clannishness and corruption in government and governance.

Nigerians had woken up on 7th August, 2018, to behold the ugly spectre of a menacing armada of a seige laid on the NASS by mask-wearing DSS operatives. It was an undoubted failed attempt to overthrow the third arm of the legitimate government of Nigeria. Both in law and fact, de facto and de jure, it is a case of pure treason or reasonable felony that is punishable with either death or life imprisonment.

The crude invasion and condoning off of the NASS, wherein Senators, members of the House of Representatives, Clerks and staff of the NASS, were violently prevented by hooded operatives, was hatched by top APC echelon and the presidency to illegally and unconstitutionally  overthrow the leadership of the Senate, the red chamber of the bicameral legislature, viet armis, by force of arms, through the vile use of weaponry.

Thank God for social media. The spine-chilling live videos mercilessly assailed us in our various homes. As is to be expected, the APC has disingenuously denied it. But, no one believes it; not even its slavish, fawning, bootlicking, and die-hard supporters, cheerleaders and chorus masters.

The president is alleged to have cleverly travelled abroad to the UK, on a “working visit”, to provide a ready made alibi of not being party to the ugly and odious developments back home. As our hard fought democracy totters towards total annihilation by this desperate government’s dastardly and unspeakable acts of impunity, totalitarianism, absolutism and fascism, Nigerians and the international community shouid brace up for tougher times ahead, in the fight for the control of the heart and soul of this beleaguered nation.

I see Mr Lawal  Daura, the now sacked DG, DSS, as a mere unfortunate fall guy, who has been made the victim and guinea pig of our  blood-spattered political chess board. I say this because, there is no way that Daura, not being the president and Commander-In Chief of the Armed Forces of the Federal Republic, even with the intoxicating and inebriating effect of power liquor, can unilaterally, whimsically, capriciously and arbitrarily lay seige on the NASS without presidential directive, or at least approval, whether tacit or overt, of the “ogas at the top”.

This is a very sad day for democracy in Nigeria. I am convinced that past  heroes, heroines and founding fathers and mothers of this unworking Nigerian project must by now, be weeping in their graves. But, make no mistake about it: it is simply not enough for this pretentious and janus-faced government to simply sack Daura, an action that was forced on it  anyway, by the spontaneous national uproar and unanimous outcry and condemnation of this barbaric and unconscionable act of attempted treason. The full weight of the law must be visited on Daura and all those usurpers who believe that Nigeria is nothing but their footstool of hegemonic self aggrandizement and ego satiation.

Sections 37 to 43 of the Criminal Code and sections 410 and 415 of the Penal Code, which operate in the the southern and northern parts of Nigeria, respectively, deal with the offences of treason and reasonable felonies. While treason is punishable by death, treasonable felony is punishable by life imprisonment. All those who participated in the national shame that has caused Nigeria monumental international odium, opprobrium and derision, must surely fall into one of these limbs.

It is treasonable felony punishable with life imprisonment for anyone to device, by overt acts, to depose or levy war against the sovereign, or to compel changes of policy, or to intimidate or overawe Parliament (NASS). The sections provide, inter alia, that, anyone who levies war against the state in order to intimidate or overawe the president or governor of a state, or who conspires with others, either within Nigeria or outside Nigeria, to levy war against Nigeria, or instigate a foreigner to invade Nigeria with an armed force, is guilty of treason and is punished by death.

It is treasonable felony punishable with life imprisonment,for anyone to become an accessory after the fact to treason, or fails to report to appropriate authorities of his knowledge of people attempting to commit treason, or forms an intention to commit the offence of treason, or prepares, advises, aids, or participates in any act of war against a traditional chief or a band of citizens.

Let the law now take its full course. It is no respeter of any person. Enough is enough. Nigeria cannot descend lower than this lowly abyss, this unenviable nadir. Let the president exonerate himself, for once, by speaking up loud and clear in condemnation of this subversive and criminal acts against Nigeria’s sovereignty. He should not hide behind the facade of the now well known usual condescending ostrich-like pretentious taciturtnity and indifference. No. It is not acceptable to the overwhelming shocked and angry Nigerians.

Mike Ozekhome is a Constitutional Lawyer and human rights activist.

– Aug. 8, 2018 @ 18:57 GMT |