The Executive Director of the Rule of Law Advocacy and Accountability Centre, Okechukwu Nwaguma, has raised alarm over the recent arrest of Joe Ajaero, President of the Nigeria Labour Congress, by the Department of State Services (DSS), as well as the police takeover of the Abuja office of the Socio-Economic Rights and Accountability Project (SERAP). Nwaguma describes these incidents as distressing for Nigeria’s democracy and civil liberties.
In a statement released on Monday, he vehemently condemned the actions of the DSS and police, emphasizing the widespread implications these developments have for democratic foundations in Nigeria. Nwaguma urged for the immediate release of Ajaero and demanded an end to the police’s siege on SERAP’s office, warning that such encroachments by security agencies might indicate an alarming shift toward authoritarianism.
“The arrest of Nigeria Labour Congress President Joe Ajaero at the airport while heading to an official assignment, coupled with the police’s siege on SERAP’s offices, underscores significant threats to our democratic principles,” he stated. “This necessitates vigilant advocacy for civil liberties and highlights a troubling trend of increasing authoritarianism that threatens to undermine democratic norms.”
Nwaguma further cautioned that heavy-handed tactics by security forces could erode public trust in government institutions and alienate citizens from political engagement, potentially leading to unrest and social instability.
He called on President Tinubu to dissociate from arbitrary arrests and to respect the rights of labor and civil society leaders. “We demand the immediate release of Ajaero and the cessation of the siege on SERAP’s offices,” he asserted.
Echoing these sentiments, Juwon Sanyaolu, National Coordinator of the Take It Back Movement, characterized the situation as a “blatant dictatorship,” asserting that the current administration exercises excessive control over all state institutions, including the judiciary and legislature. He accused the government of attempting to suppress civic spaces and opposition voices to facilitate the implementation of policies favored by international financial institutions.
Sanyaolu emphasized, “What we are witnessing is an overt move towards dictatorship, where the President prioritizes foreign influences and the interests of a select few over the Nigerian populace. We must stand united—trade unions, civil society, and the media—to safeguard democracy and the economic interests of our people.”
As the situation unfolds, Nwaguma and Sanyaolu’s statements highlight the urgent need for collective resistance against what they perceive as a systematic dismantling of democracy in Nigeria.
