Atiku Abubakar, a former vice president, has denounced attempts by security services and the federal government to put an end to the nationwide demonstrations that are scheduled to begin on August 1.
Plans are underway to hold statewide demonstrations against many causes, including poor governance and the present economic downturn, according to Vanguard.
On Tuesday, the Peoples’ Democratic Party (PDP) presidential candidate for 2023 took to his verified Facebook page to voice his worries that those who support President Bola Tinubu and the ruling All Progressives Congress (APC) may also be affected by the hardship.
He questioned why efforts were being made to put an end to the scheduled protests by President Tinubu and a few other prominent figures who participated in the 2012 nationwide protest against the Goodluck Jonathan administration.
“To be clear, citizens’ rights to protest are ENSHRINED in the Nigerian Constitution and AFFIRMED by our courts,” the author said. The right to peaceful assembly and association is unquestionably guaranteed by Section 40 of the 1999 Constitution (as amended).
“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. Chasing shadows and manipulating purported persons behind the planned protests is an exercise in futility.”
The fact that individuals who now want to restrict these rights were in charge of demonstrations in 2012 is extremely ironic. A responsible administration must provide a SAFE and SECURE environment in which citizens can exercise their right to PEACEFUL PROTEST, as guaranteed by the constitution.
In addition to being unconstitutional, he continued, “any attempt to suppress these rights is a direct affront to our democracy.”
