A coalition of 36 civil society and media organisations in Nigeria have called on the federal government to respect the fundamental right of citizens to hold a peaceful protest.
The call is coming on the heels of a planned ‘Hunger Protest’ scheduled to start on August 1st, 2024, across the country.
The protest aims to draw the government attention to the persistent economic hardship that has characterised President Bola Tinubu’s administration.
Social media posts and tweets on the protest carry different hashtags, ranging from #RevolutionNow, #EndBadGovernanceInNigeria, #TakeItBack, #DaysofRage and #TinubuMustGo.
In a joint press release issued on Monday, July 29, The CSOs said that peaceful protest is a fundamental pillar of democratic governance, adding that the action is a ‘ critical means for citizens to express their dissatisfaction, demand accountability, and advocate for change.’
The statement added, “Protesting is a legitimate form of expression enshrined in international human rights instruments, including the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, the African Charter on Human and Peoples’ Rights, and Nigeria’s 1999 Constitution (as amended), among others.
“While the right to protest is a fundamental principle of democratic nations, we concede that it must be exercised peacefully and responsibly without violating the rights of others.
“Attempts to suppress demonstrations through intimidation, excessive use of force, or unjust legal actions are unacceptable and counterproductive. Every protest is deemed peaceful, and if intelligence indicates otherwise, it is the role of the appropriate government agencies to identify such saboteurs and arrest them immediately.”
It urged the judiciary and the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) to uphold the rights of all protesters and establish a mechanism to promptly address and dismiss oppressive charges that might arise from the protests.
It reminded the government that Nigerians demands include reducing the cost of living, curbing insecurity, reducing the cost of governance, electoral reform, judicial reform, and constitutional reform, which it said were all recurring themes in Nigeria’s journey towards a healthy democracy.
The group further called on Nigerians and all stakeholders to actively participate in the protest to demand accountability from the government.
The ICIR in several reports published reactions from security agencies, and political actors, including former presidential candidates, political parties and other stakeholders to the planned protest . Tinubu has also held closed-door meetings with the traditional rulers and governors over the demonstration.
Below is the list of 36 CSOs that signed the statement’
1. 21st Century Community Empowerment for Youth and Women Initiative
2. Accountability Lab Nigeria
3. Africa Institute for Energy Governance (AFIEGO) Uganda
4. BudgIT Foundation
5. Centre for Accountability and Inclusive Development (CAAID)
6. Centre for Inclusive Social Development (CISD)
7. Centre for Journalism Innovation and Development (CJID)
8. Civil Society Legislative Advocacy Centre (CISLAC)
9. Dataphyte Foundation
10. DigiCivic Initiative
11. Enough is Enough (EiE) Nigeria
12. Farnnel Women Foundation
13. Gee Foundation for Social Justice and Development
14. Global Rights
15. Health Education and Human Rights Advocacy Initiative (HEHRAI)
16. HIFWAC Relief
17. Hope Behind Bars Africa
18. Institutional and Sustainable Development Foundation ( ISDF)
19. International Peace and Civic Responsibility Centre (IPCRC)
20. International Press Centre (IPC)
21. Invictus Africa
22. Kilimanjaro Youth Foundation
23. Media Rights Agenda (MRA)
24. Mothers United and Mobilised
25. Nigeria Network of NGOs
26. Paradigm Initiative (PIN)
27. Policy Alert
28. Public and Private Development Centre (PPDC)
29. Research Centre for Development Action
30. Rule of Law and Accountability Advocacy Centre (RULAAC)
31. Sesor Empowerment Foundation
32. TechHer NG
33. The Meluibe Empowerment Foundation
34. We the People
35. WikkiTimes
36. Yiaga Africa
Kehinde Ogunyale tells stories by using data to hold power into account. You can send him a mail at jameskennyogunyale@gmail or Twitter: Prof_KennyJames | LinkedIn: Kehinde Ogunyale