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Hardship: Atiku backs nationwide protest, says attempt to suppress citizens’ rights unconstitutional

FORMER Vice President Atiku Abubakar has backed the planned protest by Nigerians.

Abubakar, in a statement on Tuesday, July 23 via X, noted that the rights of citizens to protest are enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and had been affirmed by the courts of law.

He warned of the implications of suppressing protests and said it was not only unconstitutional but a direct affront to the nation’s democracy.

Abubakar emphasised the legal basis for public protests and criticised attempts to discourage or prevent protests.

The People’s Democratic Party (PDP) candidate in the 2023 election argued that “Chasing shadows and contriving purported persons behind the planned protests is an exercise in futility when it is obvious that Nigerians, including supporters of Tinubu and the ruling APC, are caught up in the hunger, anger, and hopelessness brought about by the incompetence and cluelessness of this government.”

“For the avoidance of doubt, the rights of citizens to protest are enshrined in the Nigerian Constitution and affirmed by our courts,” he added.

He mentioned Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution, which “unequivocally guarantees the right to peaceful assembly and association.”

Abubakar also highlighted what he described as hypocrisy among those currently in power.

He urged the government to carry out its obligations to protect citizens’ rights.

“A responsible government must ensure a safe and secure environment for citizens to exercise their constitutionally guaranteed rights to peaceful protest,” the septuagenarian stated.

Read Also:

Screenshot of Abubakar's post on unconstitutionality of government stopping protesters
Screenshot of Abubakar’s post on unconstitutionality of government stopping protesters

Meanwhile, President Bola Tinubu on Tuesday pleaded with those planning the protest to shelve it.

He urged the citizens to allow his administration adequate time to address their concerns.

This was disclosed to State House Correspondents by Minister of Information and National Orientation Mohammed Idris following closed-door meetings with Tinubu at the Aso Rock Villa in Abuja on Tuesday.

“So, there is no need for strike. The young people out there should listen to the President and allow the President more time to see to the realisation of all the goodies he has for them,” Idris stated.

The ICIR reports that some Nigerians, along with a group led by former presidential candidate, Omoyele Sowore, have been mobilising for nationwide protests scheduled for the first week of August.

The posts and tweets on the protest carry different hashtags, ranging from #RevolutionNow, #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, #TakeItBack, #DaysofRage and #TinubuMustGo.

The ICIR reported earlier that the Nigeria Labour Congress warned the Nigerian government against engaging in a “war-war” situation with Nigerians by trying to suppress citizens’ fundamental right to protest.

The union in a statement, on Monday, July 22, noted that it was condescending and dismissive to label the daily harsh struggles faced by Nigerians as a politically-motivated dissent.

It urged the government to negotiate with the protesters instead of taking actions that could undermine citizens’ rights to express their grievances.



Read Also:

The planned protests in Nigeria are an escalation of a wave of anger against hardship and corruption among public officeholders spreading across Africa.

Many of Tinubu’s economic reforms have worsened inflation, as food prices and the cost of living generally soared within his one year in office.




     

     

    The ICIR reported how Kenyans, for weeks, took to the streets to protest against the Finance Bill, putting pressure on the President, William Ruto, to decline signing it into law.

    The protests also led to the President’s dissolving his cabinet.

    In Uganda, protesters are being hounded and detained by state agents as protests raged in the country’s capital, Kampala.

    Though Nigerians have protested against hardship under Tinubu in states including Niger, Lagos, Osun, Oyo, the last major protest in Nigeria was the 2020 ENDSARS.

    Bankole Abe

    A reporter with the ICIR
    A Journalist with a niche for quality and a promoter of good governance

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