The event was the public presentation of ‘Demonstration of Craze: Struggles and Transition to Democracy in Nigeria,’ a memoir by Abdul Oroh, a former journalist, Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), and ex-member of the House of Representatives.

A book launch event in Abuja on Thursday turned contentious as members of the audience heckled Senator Adams Oshiomhole and a minister in President Bola Tinubu’s cabinet during their speeches.

The event was the public presentation of ‘Demonstration of Craze: Struggles and Transition to Democracy in Nigeria,’ a memoir by Abdul Oroh, a former journalist, Executive Director of the Civil Liberties Organisation (CLO), and ex-member of the House of Representatives.

Tensions began to rise during the speech by Senator Oshiomhole, who represents Edo North in the National Assembly and is a former governor and labour leader.

Invited to speak at the event, Oshiomhole devoted much of his time to painting himself as an activist and former governor of repute and attacking human rights activist Omoyele Sowore, who had earlier made reference to him as a member of a political party made of “charlatans” who hijacked Nigeria’s democracy.

Oshiomhole is a prominent member of the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC). As then-APC National Chairman, Oshiomhole made the now-infamous statement that "once you join the APC, all your sins are forgiven."

He made this remark on January 17, 2019, during an APC presidential campaign rally in Benin, Edo State, while welcoming defectors from the Peoples Democratic Party (PDP) to the APC.

Oshiomhole emphasised that the party was open to former opposition members, suggesting that their past misdeeds would be overlooked upon joining the APC.

However, at Thursday’s event, as Oshiomhole continued to praise his own activism and political record, the audience grew restless and started heckling him.

Despite attempting to conclude his remarks on at least three occasions, he continued speaking, prompting audible discontent. Several attendees heckled the former governor, urging him to end his speech.

A similar scene played out when Engr. Abubakar E. Momoh, Minister of Niger Delta Development, mounted the podium. When Momoh attempted to defend the Tinubu administration’s performance, claiming the country was making progress under the current government, audience members shouted him down, insisting he proceed with the book launch and leave rather than make political remarks.

Despite the disruptions, the event drew a significant number of prominent pro-democracy activists, legal experts, and scholars who reflected on Nigeria’s turbulent path to civil rule. Among those in attendance were Olisa Agbakoba (SAN), Ayo Obe, Hon. Uche Onyeagocha, architect Nnimo Bassey, Dr. Tunji Abayomi, Abdul Mahmud, former NANS President Lanre Arogundade, Comrade Ibrahim Zikirullahi, as well as representatives of Kaduna State Governor Uba Sani, students of the University of Abuja, and several others.

Oroh’s 614-page memoir offers a detailed chronicle of Nigeria’s struggle against military dictatorship, particularly under the regimes of Muhammadu Buhari, Ibrahim Babangida, and the late Sani Abacha. The book captures the courage and resilience of civil society actors and ordinary Nigerians who resisted military oppression at significant personal cost.

Oroh’s account provides rich anecdotes and reflections on Nigeria’s democratic journey, highlighting both the triumphs and the betrayals that have marked the country’s transition to civil rule.

Meanwhile, Thursday’s incident was not the first time Oshiomhole would face public backlash during a speech.

On February 8, 2023, the former Nigeria Labour Congress (NLC) president was jeered by union members at the 13th National Delegates Conference in Abuja over his remarks on the national minimum wage and the prolonged strike by the Academic Staff Union of Universities (ASUU), which had crippled academic activities for eight months.

As Oshiomhole mounted the podium to address the delegates, some in the audience shouted at him to “come down.”

Attempts to calm the crowd by asserting that his political affiliation had not changed his values were met with louder disapproval.

Several delegates accused him of being “fake” and “compromised,” alleging he had become overly sympathetic to then-President Muhammadu Buhari’s administration, widely criticised for human rights abuses.