By Ayomide Otitoju
The Take-It-Back Movement, led by activist Omoyele Sowore, has announced plans to stage a nationwide protest on June 12, rejecting what it described as the “hollow celebrations” of Democracy Day amid worsening insecurity and democratic decline.
In a statement issued by the group’s National Coordinator, Juwon Sanyaolu, the movement condemned the annual commemorations as “official pageantry” that masks the erosion of democratic freedoms in Nigeria.
“We will not participate in the hypocrisy of celebrating freedom where none exists,” the statement read. “Instead, we declare this day a national day of resistance—a day to stand against tyranny and bad governance.”
The group warned that the country was witnessing signs of democratic collapse, noting that hard-won freedoms are being reversed by those who once promised reform.
“Freedom of speech is under attack. The state has turned on its citizens with an unrelenting campaign of intimidation and censorship,” the statement continued.
According to the group, journalists are harassed, activists are arbitrarily detained, and citizens are arrested for expressing dissent on social media. The statement accused the government of weaponising the Cybercrime Act to suppress free speech.
“Through weaponisation of the Cybercrime Act, government agents now stalk the digital footprints of dissenters, silencing legitimate criticism and criminalising free expression,” it alleged.
The group also drew attention to ongoing violence in rural areas, including Plateau, Benue, and Southern Kaduna, where it said mass killings have become routine and state response remains grossly inadequate.
“Internally displaced persons multiply while perpetrators roam free,” the group stated. “The bloodletting has become a routine, and the state remains complicit through its inaction, negligence, or outright denial. This is not a democracy. This is organised cruelty.”
The Take-It-Back Movement urged Nigerians across the country to join the protest on June 12 in solidarity against what it called “institutionalised injustice and democratic suppression.”
