*Buhari can’t communicate with us via medium we long abandoned – Public comments
*You can’t call a man under trial for coup plot pro-democracy fighter, journalists told
*As AGF says his release was by government magnanimity, not any pressure
“We have continued to note the appalling manner by which some kind of media practitioners try to make us see Sowore as fighter for democracy. They can only make this ridicule of themselves but for a short time because it is very unpopular opinion.”
#RevolutionNow convener, Omoyele Sowore, who is under trial for plotting to destabilise Nigeria and overthrow winner of 2019 election he partook in, President Muhammadu Buhari, has called on Nigerians to continue to support PUNCH in every way possible including purchasing copies of the newspaper that hides not its anti-government stance in the country.
In a post on his Twitter handle on Thursday, the Publisher of Sahara Reporters hoped that at least one million Nigerians can purchase a copy of the paper each to appreciate PUNCH for all that, according to him, it had done to promote rule of law and free speech in the country.
On Monday – New Year’s Day – leading Nigerian newspapers had carried a special message from the Federal Government to citizens, wishing them a great 2020 ahead.
Sowore’s medium, Sahara Reporters complained that “PUNCH, boasting arguably the widest reach of the pack, was omitted from the advert train, raising suspicion that it could have been left out due to its latest hard-line stance against the regime of President Muhammadu Buhari.”
The Sowore’s online medium said: “In a stinging and widely-applauded editorial that echoed the feelings of majority of Nigerians on December 11, PUNCH newspaper not only condemned the unlawful detention of Sowore, Sambo Dasuki and many others held arbitrarily by the Department of State Services despite several court orders directing their release on bail, the media outfit also went further by declaring that it would henceforth prefix Buhari’s title with his last rank as a military officer – major general – in protest of his administration’s penchant for ignoring the dictates of the Nigerian constitution.”
Applauding the media organisation for that bold step and calling on Nigerians to continue to stand by the newspaper, Sowore said, “Today we decided to buy and read PUNCH Newspaper and hope at least one million Nigerians can purchase a copy of the revolutionary daily paper.
“The PUNCH has become the newspaper of the people and we have a duty to help sustain their conscientious style of reporting.
“We did this because the Nigerian Presidency decided in its pettiness not to place an advert in PUNCH because of their uncompromising position on tyranny, free speech and civil rights.”
To many watchers of events, PUNCH and Sowore’s concerns over non-comitment of money of government they so much hate that they cooperated to run down do not add up.
Some comments on Facebook Thursday frowned at what they claimed was “wailers’ wanting President Muhammadu Buhari to communicate with us through a media platform we have love abandoned, it cannot happen any more.”
A particular respondent said, “We have continued to note the appalling manner by which some kind of media practitioners try to make us see Sowore as fighter for democracy. They can only make this ridicule of themselves but for a short time because it is very unpopular opinion.
“Somebody contested election, failed woefully and not only refused to believe he lost but also now went ahead to use the back door into the nation’s presidency by plotting a revolution to overthrow the winner of that contest he lost out of, and you choose to use your journalism to celebrate such person as pro-democracy fighter?
“Some journalists in this country should know that they only rob themselves of integrity status by being sentimental, biased and misleading. They don’t have monopoly of fact twisting. We know Sowore is not what they try to make of him as democracy hero. It won’t happen,” he said.
The DEFENDER reports Attorney General of the Federation and Minister of Justice, Mallam Abubakar Malami (SAN), said Sowore’s release on the eve of Christmas 2019 had nothing to do with pressures but national magnanimity made possible by government even at a time it had the full rights to appeal against the court order for his release.
