Arrest the rebels and treasonable subversives!, By Femi Fani-Kayode

…the ban that has been placed on anti-inauguration protests by the Federal Government is deeply encouraging and is a clear indication of the total commitment of the Buhari administration to preserving and protecting democracy, and to ensuring that there is a smooth transition of power to the incoming president-elect and his government.

Last Tuesday I was sent a video of an angry crowd of members of the opposition violently marching through the streets of our nations capital, Abuja, loudly chanting and proclaiming that the INEC Chairman, Professor Mahmood Yakubu, was nothing but “a thief” and that the inauguration of our President-elect, Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu, which is scheduled to hold on 29th May must not be allowed to proceed.

As if that were not bad enough, later on the same day I was sent another video which showed the same members of the opposition protesting at the gates of Defence Headquarters in Abuja and loudly calling on the military to take over power in our country.

Assuming these videos are authentic, these acts are not only outrageous, subversive and dangerous but they are also acts of treason, rebellion and insurrection.

We have warned about these sinister plots and plans for months and well before the presidential elections but no one took us seriously and it was to no avail.

Now the signs are obvious and ominous and it is clear that there is something evil afoot.

It is heartwarming and encouraging that the DSS, as alive to its duties as ever, finally issued a statement in which it vindicated us.

The security agency confirmed the fact that there are some elements within the political class who are planning to use violence to impose an Interim National Government on the country and went on to not only warn those who seek to implement this hidden agenda but also to assure those of us who are against it that they would take strong measures and move against them.

This is vital in order for us to protect and save our democracy from those that seek to truncuate it and establish an unconstitutional form of Government in its stead.

It is incumbent upon us all as democrats to speak out in support of the DSS and to help it thwart the evil plans of the unscrupulous conspirators, dangerous plotters, unpatriotic elements and fascistic forces that want to topple our government and abort the democratic process.

Those of us who are politicians and who still believe in democracy must stop being lazy, cowardly, undiscerning, insensitive and complacent in the face of this challenge.

We must appreciate the fact that there is a major play going on in the background and it is not yet uhuru.

We must stop pretending that we do not know what is going on and we must desist from sitting on the fence and hedging our bets.

We must rise to the occasion that this challenge and very real danger and threat presents and we must defend and preserve democracy by resisting the forces of chaos, anarchy and tyranny.

These young ones who are protesting have no idea about the inherent horrors of military rule and what it really means because they were not born when the soldiers held sway in our country, and they do not know the indignities and bondage that we were subjected to as a people during the course of those years.

As a senior citizen, a former public office holder, a public figure and a major stakeholder in the Asiwaju project, I can no longer sit by idly and stomach this nonsense. It would be irresponsible and cowardly to do so.

For 16 years, from 1983 till 1999, many of us fought against military rule and paid a high price in that fight. Others that came before us fought it between 1966 and 1979. They also paid a high price.

During the course of all those years many suffered, many were tortured, many were exiled, many lost everything, many were destroyed, many were jailed and many were martyred.

These young ones who are protesting have no idea about the inherent horrors of military rule and what it really means because they were not born when the soldiers held sway in our country, and they do not know the indignities and bondage that we were subjected to as a people during the course of those years.

The fact that some are openly calling for a return to those dark days gives many of us deep concern.

The last thing we need in our country today is military intervention, a military coup d’etat or any other form of unconstitutional government, including an Interim National Government.

It is obvious that these young ones who are calling for military intervention are being encouraged, sponsored and used by elements in the opposition to truncuate our democracy.

When one couples these calls for a coup d’etat with the words of Datti Baba Ahmed, the vice presidential candidate of the Labour Party, on Channels Television last week, when he said that he had no faith in the courts and election tribunals, that the swearing-in of Asiwaju Tinubu as president would be an invitation to a military coup, that Tinubu is a Mafia Don who is deeply involved in organised crime and that his swearing in would be a danger to “all our lives”, one gets the message and can connect the dots of this great conspiracy.

The Atiku group, through their numerous spokespersons, have said equally disturbing things, including consistently calling the president-elect a “Pablo Escobar-like drug baron” in order to incite the people, the international community, the civil society, the people of Nigeria and the Nigerian Armed Forces against him.

Outside of that, the opposition have also targetted INEC and the Nigerian judiciary for a campaign of calmuny, demonisation and destruction, and they have engaged and induced elements in the international community, including politicians, leaders, businessmen, diplomats, international institutions and both local and foreign NGO’s, who they have misled and fed with the most horrendous lies and propaganda, to assist them.

It is time for the intelligence and security agencies and the Buhari administration to rise to the occasion and face the challenge of these subversive and destabilising elements squarely and with a very firm hand.

They should arrest those who appear to be behind this evil plot, including Peter Obi, Dati Baba Ahmed, Atiku Abubakar, Ifeanyi Okowa and their numerous spokesmen, associates and foreign collaborators in order to find out exactly what their role is in this matter and the part, if any, that they are playing in it.

They should also identify, ascertain and arrest their collaborators, both foreign and local, in this treasonous plot.

It is also important to arrest and charge to court those young men and women who participated in Tuesday’s protest and openly called for a coup d’etat, in order to deter others from doing so… Failure to do this will encourage others to do same and suggest that there is far more to the whole thing than meets the eye.

None of them enjoys immunity and none of them is above the law.

Shielding and protecting them from being held accountable for their utterances and actions and for supporting anarchy, chaos, treason and rebellion is becoming increasingly dangerous and does not augur well for the peace and stability of our country.

It is also important to arrest and charge to court those young men and women who participated in Tuesday’s protest and openly called for a coup d’etat, in order to deter others from doing so.

Failure to do this will encourage others to do same and suggest that there is far more to the whole thing than meets the eye.

In this respect, the ban that has been placed on anti-inauguration protests by the Federal Government is deeply encouraging and is a clear indication of the total commitment of the Buhari administration to preserving and protecting democracy, and to ensuring that there is a smooth transition of power to the incoming president-elect and his government.

It is this clear commitment that has kept the peace and given us hope, in spite of the shenanigans and mischief of an irresponsible, bitter, vicious, dangerous, petty, hostile and increasingly desperate, bellicose and violent opposition, which is capable of doing anything to take power.

In conclusion and for the avoidance of doubt, let me state clearly and categorically that democracy is here to stay and we will defend President-elect Asiwaju Bola Ahmed Tinubu’s mandate with the last drop of our blood and every fibre of our being, if and when necessary.

There will be NO military intervention and NO ING and if they try either, this WILL undoubtedly lead to a major conflict and a second civil war in our country.

Those who are harbouring these dark and sinister plots, plans and thoughts should desist from doing so before it is too late.

I call on all BATISTS to be vigilant, courageous, prayerful and to maintain the peace.

In two months, our leader shall be sworn in as president, we shall be in power and we shall usher in a new dawn and era of unity, peace, prosperity, strength, courage and progress in the affairs of our nation.

Permit me to end with the following. In the Book of Isaiah 54:15-17, the Holy Bible says, “surely they shall gather but it shall not be by me: whosoever gathers against thee shall be scattered for thy sake”.

The gathering of the subversives, fascists and enemies of democracy in Nigeria shall be scattered by God and their plots, plans and conspiracies shall come to nought and be in vain.

Femi Fani-Kayode is the Director of Special Media Projects, Special Media Operations and New Media of the Tinubu/Shettima Presidential Campaign Council.