Kogi debacle: A requiem for activism?

As a member of the young cadres in the field of activism, there are some older comrades we look up to for guidance and inspiration. However, l was taken aback when l saw how some of our senior cadres became the mouthpiece for the embattled former Governor of Kogi State, Yahaya Bello.

I watched with dismay how these senior comrades were addressing press conference, purporting to be defending rule of law and sanctity of the judiciary in respect of the court order obtained at Lokoja by Yahaya Bello against his arrest and prosecution by the EFCC.

It should also be noted that these same set of senior comrades, whom I have reasons to presume to be under the instigation of Yahaya Bello, last year, embarked on a one-week street protests against the former chairman of EFCC, Abdulrasheed Bawa, calling for his removal for allegedly flouting a Kogi State High Court order in respect of same Yahaya Bello.

It is quite embarrassing that a number of civil society activists in Nigeria have turned themselves to the mouthpiece of the rogues who have collectively left the mass of Nigerian people impoverished.

• The Yahaya Bello drama and the mockery of law
• Yahaya Bello on trial, just like the EFCC

The press conference by these activists is a pointer to the double-edged nature of some acclaimed activists. In fact, I even learnt they followed the press conference up with a rally in support of Yahaya Bello. Nothing could be more embarrassing than seeing old men and women organise themselves under the guise of human rights advocacy to defend and promote the interests of an element like Yahaya Bello.

I must really commend Femi Falana for his intervention on this issue which I align with. I was honestly expecting them to have first studied and analysed the judgment before coming out to regurgitate a hidden expression but it seems they were so much in a hurry to make a case for Yahaya Bello.

Kazeem Olalekan Israel wrote from Ibadan, Nigeria.